This is the first time support for the ANC has fallen below 60%

The ANC won 53.9 percent of the national vote – a far cry from the 61 percent it received in 2011. It fared worse in previous ANC strongholds such as Johannesburg, where it only garnered 44 percent of the vote.

Voters were angered by blatant self-enrichment of ANC leadership

The Zuma administration has been rocked by scandal after scandal. Most recently, President Jacob Zuma was ordered to repay $16 million in state funds he used to renovate his private home (presumably for security upgrades), cementing the popular belief and opposition narrative of corruption within the ANC.

Ruling parties often perform poorly in stagnant economies

The South African economy has been under-performing, and the national GDP is expected to grow by less than 1 percent in 2017. Unemployment remains at a 26.6 percent, with an even more shocking 55 percent youth unemployment.

The election marked the first time the ANC lost power in large black majority city Nelson Mandela Bay

Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa’s fifth-biggest city (it includes Port Elizabeth, with a 60 percent black population) chose the Democratic Alliance’s Athol Trollip as its new mayor. Trollip is a white South African with a history of progressive politics, and he appealed to a diverse set of voters – helped by the fact that he is fluent in Xhosa.

Analysts say voters are less receptive to the ANC’s emotive appeals to the past

The ANC has long banked on its status as the party of Nelson Mandela, and used his heroic history fighting apartheid to appeal to voters. “People are clearly not voting anymore based on the past. They’re now voting on the current reality of poor service delivery and the Zuma presidency,” said William Gumede, a political scientist at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg.

Source: NYTimes

Mmusi Maimane, first black leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance, won the Pretoria mayoral race

Maimane, who took over the DA leadership in 2015, has helped to change the face of a party previously seen as the white party. But the DA, founded five decades ago by white anti-apartheid activists, is more and more being viewed as a viable alternative to the ANC that may be more successful in providing jobs and economic development.

The election may result in tactical alliances between the country’s two main opposition parties

Despite some Democratic Alliance leaders’ claims that they will not go into coalition alliances with members of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, the two main opposition groups could gain strength from strategic partnerships. The EFF, though only receiving a small share of the vote, could leverage its position to play a kingmaker role to access power, thereby allowing the DA to improve its image in predominantly black townships where it is perceived as a white party.

Interparty coalition building may result in increased difficulty making decisions

Due to the ANC’s inability to win large majorities in its previous strongholds, the party – as well as the DA that now controls major cities such as Pretoria and Nelson Mandela Bay – will have to build coalitions to govern. In Johannesburg alone, the ANC will have to partner with seven out of the eight parties that now hold seats to pass legislation. While this is expected to result in increased compromise in major cities, it may also lead to gridlock and reduced decision-making, especially at the national level.

EFF leader wants Zuma’s resignation as a condition for colaition building with ANC

Julius Malema, the socialist firebrand leader of the EFF, has called for Zuma’s resignation as a prerequisite to partnering with the ANC in a coalition. It is unclear whether or not he will stick to this condition. The ANC needs to form coalitions with the EFF to keep control of major cities such as Johannesburg and Pretoria.

The ANC may end up as the opposition party in major cities

Gwede Mantashe, the secretary-general of the ANC, said, “When you negotiate coalitions, every party wants its pound of flesh.” The ANC is “psychologically ready” to go into opposition if it is unable to form a coalition, and will refuse to compromise its platform, he added.

Source: Financial Times

Few “Born Frees” voted in the recent election

South Africa’s “born free” generation — those born after the end of apartheid in 1994, largely stayed away from the polls in the 2016 election. Many were disappointed by the ANC’s performance over the last two decades, but were not yet convinced by the Democratic Alliance or other alternatives.

The ANC claims “collective responsibility” for falling popularity

In a move that surprised many, the ANC decided not to blame Zuma for the party’s poor performance in the election, and did not ask him to step down. Instead, the party announced it would take “collective responsibility” and work against perceptions that it is “arrogant, self-serving and soft on corruption,” according to the party’s secretary-general.

Source: Financial Times