Staff Reporter
The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has said it will undertake “serious introspection” and organisational renewal after suffering a major setback in the 2026 local government elections, acknowledging that voters had delivered a message it could not ignore.
In a statement issued on Monday night, the party conceded that its performance had fallen well short of expectations and said it had begun examining the political, organisational and governance failures behind its declining support.
“The outcome calls for serious introspection, organisational renewal and a renewed commitment to putting communities at the centre of local government. The very future of the National Democratic Revolution (NDR) depends on how we respond to the current challenge,” it said.
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The party secured about 20% of the provincial vote in 2026, compared with more than 40% in the 2021 municipal elections.
It was overtaken by former President Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP), which secured about 35% of the proportional representation vote, while the IFP secured about 20%.
But, said the party, its performance showed early signs of recovery when compared with the 2024 provincial elections.
“Compared with the 2021 Local Government Elections, our decline is severe. We have lost more than half of the provincial vote share we won at the local level five years ago. Compared with the 2024 provincial elections, the most recent test of our support, the picture shows the first signs of recovery. The ANC’s share of the vote rose to 20.0%, a gain of 3.0 percentage points from 17% in 2024.”
The party also pointed to the number of wards it won and an increase in its total votes.
“The recovery is evident in the number of wards won, with the ANC securing 121 wards. It successfully retained 41 of the wards it previously held in 2024 and gained an impressive 80 additional wards. The ANC also received more votes than it did in 2024, rising from 589 739 to 637 083, an increase of 47 344 votes.”
It said that progress in extending basic services and infrastructure had not translated into the levels of public satisfaction and confidence it had expected.
It said communities had legitimate concerns about local governance, service delivery, accountability, responsiveness and the conduct of some public representatives.
The ANC said it had begun a “comprehensive review” of the election results to identify the factors behind its declining support and the political, organisational and governance challenges requiring urgent attention.
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“This process will not be about finding convenient explanations or shifting responsibility, but about drawing the necessary lessons and taking corrective action,” it said.
The party said it remained committed to serving communities despite the changed political landscape.
“The message from the electorate has been received. The ANC has listened, will reflect, correct and rebuild.”
