South Africans to vote in key local elections seen as a tough test for ruling ANC

JOHANNESBURG -- South Africans are preparing to vote in local government elections that will determine control of the country’s largest cities and test whether the African National Congress continues its electoral decline.Voters on Wednesday will elect councilors, who will then choose mayors to oversee municipal services, including water, sanitation and rubbish collection.But politicians campaigning this year have also faced questions about national issues, including illegal immigration, high unemployment and crime.“I think for most voters, they assess the situation of where they are, that’s their immediate reaction. But for a party, the image that you have at national level might make your candidate at local level be overlooked,” said Sandile Mnguni, a political analyst at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.The ANC lost its parliamentary majority in 2024 and formed a unity government with the Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-largest party, and smaller parties.In the last municipal elections in 2021, the ANC lost control of several major cities. It governs others through coalitions.Home to nearly 5 million people and most of South Africa’s corporate headquarters, Johannesburg is a...