ANC Set For Worst Election Performance Since 1994

South Africa’s ruling party may be heading for its worst electoral showing since the end of apartheid.

Initial results from Monday’s municipal polls suggest the African National Congress will garner 46.6% of the vote, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research said in a forecast posted on its website.

That would be its lowest share since South Africa’s first multiracial elections a quarter-century ago and compares with 54% in the last local government elections in 2016.

Monday’s vote was the first municipal ballot since President Cyril Ramaphosa won control of the ANC in 2017 and set about trying to rebuild support for the party, which plummeted during his predecessor Jacob Zuma’s scandal-marred rule.

The ANC has fallen out of favour because of voter dissatisfaction with poor service delivery, crumbling infrastructure within towns and cities, record unemployment and frequent power outages.

Its performance is also likely to be dented by fewer