The African National Congress has said it will prioritize community interests, transparency and effective governance in coalition talks

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s African National Congress (ANC) has won the largest share of votes in municipal elections, but a sharp fall in support has left it needing coalition partners to govern key cities.

Results announced by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on Sunday gave the ANC 30.76% of the vote and 3,246 council seats, down from 45.59% of the vote in 2021. The Democratic Alliance (DA) secured 24.64% and 1,695 seats, followed by former President Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe party with 9.76% and 785 seats.

Approximately 14.9 million of the 29.2 million registered voters cast ballots on November 4. The IEC reported turnout of 52%, up 6.1 percentage points from 2021, and declared the elections free and fair.

“This has been a very catastrophic outcome for the ANC,” Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said.…