South Africa's ANC faces voter backlash over power, water failures

Residents of a township on the edge of Johannesburg say they will stay away from South Africa's local elections on November 4 unless their homes are properly connected to the electricity grid.

About 180 households in Katlehong have drawn power through illegal cables strung along footpaths for more than 20 years, tapping supply from another part of the settlement. Community leader Lesiba Rankapole, 59, said the decision to withhold votes was taken together.

We have made a collective decision: no electricity, no vote,

he said. Rankapole said residents knew the connections were unlawful but had no alternative, adding that children cannot make progress without power.

The standoff is a test for the African National Congress (ANC), the party of Nelson Mandela, which runs the municipality. Anger over missing water, uncollected refuse, mismanagement and corruption is feeding disillusionment with ANC councils in several communities, according to the reports.

Why the vote matters beyond Katlehong

Another resident, Enock Majola, 57, pointed to illegal dumping sites as he explained his frustration. He said he was born into the ANC but no longer wants to hear its name because of hardship. He said it is clear many in the community will not vote, particularly for the ruling party.

The ANC's national support has shrunk over two decades. It took nearly 70 per cent of the vote in 2004, slipped to 46 per cent in the 2021 municipal elections and won just over 40 per cent in 2024, when it was forced into a coalition government. Breakaway groups, including the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) led by former president Jacob Zuma, are contesting local elections for the first time.

Not everyone in Katlehong is turning away. Meshack Twala, 58, was digging to clear a blocked pipe at a home surrounded by sewage and asked how residents could vote while their street suffers. Even so, he said he would still back the ANC, because switching parties would not feel right.

Of 257 councils being contested, Johannesburg is the biggest prize, a city of more than 4.8 million people. In Alexandra township, rubbish heaps, potholes and sewage sit within sight of the Sandton skyscrapers. Maintenance worker Patrick Saohatse, 45, said years of ANC rule have brought no change there, and he will vote for the Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-largest party in the governing coalition.

DA mayoral candidate Helen Zille, 75, warned at a rally that another five years of corruption and failing infrastructure would push the city beyond recovery. Action SA leader Herman Mashaba, 67, is also running for mayor, saying refuse collection is irregular and street lights are out.

The ANC had not picked its Johannesburg candidate less than two weeks before polling day. Its head of elections, Mdumiseni Ntuli, told AFP that residents have reasons to be unhappy, but said the party has owned its mistakes and remains the better choice. He urged people to vote.

Analyst Sethulego Matebesi said municipal elections usually draw low turnout, which hurts the ANC, though the results will show parties where their support lies ahead of the 2029 national vote. He expects no party to win an outright majority, pointing to coalitions and hung councils.

What happens next

Polling is set for November 4. The results will show whether service failures cost the ANC control of key councils, and whether coalition deals decide who runs Johannesburg.