JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress says it is moving swiftly to rebuild the organisation following what it described as a catastrophic decline in support during the 2026 Local Government Elections.
ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu explained that the party is not licking its wounds. Instead, it is reflecting on the message that voters have delivered and taking immediate steps to address their concerns.
The ANC is no longer the leading party in Joburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, and Nelson Mandela Bay, surrendering that position to the Democratic Alliance.
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It is also runner-up in eThekwini, as former movement leader Jacob Zuma’s MK Party continues to eat into its votes.
The ANC has also lost its outright majority in Buffalo City and holds a razor-thin margin over the Democratic Alliance in Mangaung.
Bhengu admitted that the ANC's renewal must translate to what South Africans can feel.
“There is no room for arrogance. As much as we still have a national footprint across the country, we have suffered a serious decline. The SG described it as catastrophic; we couldn't agree more.
“That is the message we're sending to our voters, but we will rebuild the organisation of our forefathers, and we will ensure that any wrongdoing that is done in the name of the African National Congress is outed and is addressed promptly so that our people once again can actually trust the ANC and have full confidence in the ANC into the future. That work does not begin in 2027; it begins as of now."