We don’t regret it — Gwede Mantashe breaks silence as ANC suffers brutal election beating

ANC National Chairperson Gwede Mantashe has stated that the party is not sorry for allowing South Africans to exercise their democratic rights, despite the fact that the governing party is losing the 2026 local government elections with the early results. The ANC is trying to portray the vote as a sign of a healthy democracy, not a rejection of the party’s leadership, and Mantashe’s remarks reflect that. Until the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) finishes counting and announces the results for each municipality, the early figures are unofficial and partial.

There is a significant distinction between national elections and elections for local governments. Ward councillors are elected at the ballot box, and the distribution of proportional seats on each city council is decided by the voters’ selection of party lists. To elect a mayor and pass budgets, the party with the most seats still needs other parties’ support, since most municipalities do not have an outright majority winner. Even if a party maintains its majority in a particular area, it may lose control of that area due to losses in individual wards, particularly in big metros.

Initial findings indicate that the ANC is facing challenges in various urban and peri-urban regions, including portions of KwaZulu-Natal, a province where the party has maintained a strong presence for many years. Additionally, the MK Party has reportedly made gains in wards that were once ANC strongholds. In cities like Tshwane and Johannesburg, where coalition arrangements are likely to decide who runs the municipality, opposition parties like the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) have also been campaigning for stronger positions.

The ANC faces a double-edged sword. Water leaks, sewage spills, and infrastructure problems have been ongoing concerns in municipalities like eThekwini, and the party’s service delivery failures have frustrated residents. It must explain why voters have turned away from the party in some areas. The next few weeks will show whether the party can turn its words into actions, as Mantashe has indicated that it will accept the verdict of the voters.

Observers will also keep an eye on how the outcomes impact the larger political scene in the run-up to the next national election. Coalition politics could become the norm in South African local government if smaller parties do well, and it could alter the negotiating power of parties in the provinces and on the national stage.

Conversely, once the new councils take the oath of office, voters will be curious to see how their representatives handle issues specific to their towns. The ANC’s defeats and the altered political landscape will be better understood once the IEC’s results are confirmed.

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