South Africans cast votes in municipal elections testing ruling party

South Africans began voting on Wednesday in local elections that serve as a key test for the ruling African National Congress. DW and Al Jazeera reported that polls opened at 7:00 am local time. Al Jazeera reported that voting stations close at 9:00 pm. [1][2]

According to the Electoral Commission of South Africa cited by Al Jazeera, a record 29.2 million people are registered to vote across 23,696 voting stations. France 24 reported that there are 29 million registered voters. Al Jazeera also reported that more than 1.4 million special votes were cast before Wednesday. [2][5]

The election comes amid widespread voter anger over high crime rates, crumbling infrastructure, water outages, and power cuts, according to DW, The Guardian, and France 24. Al Jazeera reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa admitted municipal failures have contributed to a decline in public trust. [1][2][4][5]

The African National Congress has led the country since the end of apartheid in 1994, DW and The Guardian reported. DW reported that the party secured less than 50 percent of the vote in the 2021 local elections. DW reported that polls suggest the party could fall below 40 percent this time, while The Guardian reported it is expected to receive less than a third of the vote. [1][2][4]