ANC KZN results

President Cyril Ramaphosa. Image: GCIS

Bleak results for ANC: ‘Huge number’ of KZN voters ditch the ruling party

Tides are changing in South Africa, and its one-party dominance is now under threat. Results in KZN show just how much trouble the ANC is in.

ANC KZN results

President Cyril Ramaphosa. Image: GCIS

The results don’t look good for the ANC on the whole, as the ruling party braces for its lowest ever national vote share. But if you want to see where they are receiving the worst punishment, look no further than KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).

ANC loses votes in KZN – but why?

Voters in the province have turned their backs on the ANC this week. What that comes down to isn’t exactly clear, but the region – seen as a stronghold for the 109-year-old organisation – is also known for its loyalty to Jacob Zuma, and he’s had some very public fallouts with the party since his incarceration earlier this year.

The ANC has also been chastised for its reaction to the July Riots which spread across KZN, killing hundreds in the process. Add that into the mix with the current load shedding woes, a poor service delivery record, as well as bitter infighting between party factions, and you’ve got yourself an instant recipe for disaster.

Latest election results and updates for Wednesday 3 November

  • Projection figures taken from the CSIR

Right, if you’re an ANC enthusiast, you might want to look away now, because these numbers are brutal. The ANC is only on course to receive about 43% of the vote in KZN, meaning they will no longer hold an outright majority in the region. Support for the party here has dropped by ELEVEN percentage points in the last two years

The figures get worse when compared to the last set of Local Elections in 2016. Back then, the ANC enjoyed over 58% of all ballots cast – they are now 15 percentage points down on that total, based on current projections.

The DA and the EFF haven’t really been able to capitalise on this opportunity – but the IFP will be rubbing their hands with glee. After usually pulling in about 16% to 18% of voters in KZN, that support has jumped right up to 25% on Wednesday morning, with the final number likely to be above 26%.

As the results continue to trickle in, it appears that one party’s misery is another’s success story…