NORTH WEST — The recent ANC North West election results have revealed a historic decline in the party’s electoral support, dropping below the 50 percent threshold for the first time in the province. Addressing the media in Mahikeng, party officials attributed the poor showing in the local government elections to deliberate sabotage by what they described as counter-revolutionary forces.
According to the party, infrastructure vandalism was strategically executed in the buildup to last week’s elections. Officials alleged that electricity cables and water valves were deliberately stolen in certain areas. They argued that the destruction of critical infrastructure, which leads to power outages and subsequent water shortages, was a calculated move to anger residents and deter them from voting for the African National Congress.
The electoral data highlights a substantial shift in the province’s political landscape over the last two decades. The party’s support has declined by over 31 percent since the 2006 municipal elections, where it secured 75.8 percent of the vote. In the current elections, the party’s share dropped to 44.05 percent, resulting in the loss of control in 11 local municipalities. While the ANC acknowledged that worsening service delivery contributed to the outcome, it maintained that the coordinated infrastructure destruction played a pivotal role. Party officials have promised to regain the lost ground in future elections.
Offering a contrasting view, political analyst André Duvenhage dismissed the allegations of counter-revolutionary sabotage. He argued that the ANC’s poor electoral performance is primarily the result of systemic governance failures at the municipal level. Professor Duvenhage pointed to a lack of service delivery, the inability to maintain existing infrastructure, and a failure to create jobs as the true drivers of voter dissatisfaction, noting that the province has experienced some of the worst governance challenges in the country.
Beyond the election results, the party also addressed administrative disputes regarding the voting process. ANC provincial secretary Louis Diremelo stated that the party has raised formal objections with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) regarding Proportional Representation (PR) seat allocations.
Diremelo expressed dissatisfaction with the IEC’s handling of these objections, which were submitted in several municipalities where seat allocations impacted ANC representation. He noted that a previous objection in the JB Marks municipality was successfully corrected, resulting in an additional PR seat being allocated to the party, and confirmed that the ANC will continue to pursue these matters through the appropriate channels.
Looking ahead to potential coalition governments, the ANC emphasized that any coalition arrangements must be strictly driven by service delivery objectives and the practical needs of communities, rather than the pursuit of political positions.
