Chris Gilili|Published
The once-dominant ANC could see a drop to even lower levels in the upcoming local government polls, especially after it ditched its plans to reveal mayoral candidates around the country, say opposition parties.
Over the weekend, the party’s head of elections, Mdumiseni Ntuli, revealed that the major partner in the Government of National Unity is not going to announce mayoral candidates while contesting for municipal powers.
Opposition parties question ANC campaign strategy
GOOD Party Secretary-General Brett Heron said a few months ago the ANC announced they wanted to field the best possible Mayoral candidates and would even consider applications from outside their ranks.
He said the party should have understood that the electoral game had evolved and that named mayoral candidates would help parties and campaigns demonstrate values and competence.
“By abandoning this strategy, they risk suppressing their own support and that will benefit the DA in Cape Town. A candidate who could’ve excited their base, reluctant and active supporters, could have helped with turnout," Herron said.
According to an Ipsos survey from September 2026, the ANC will face an uphill battle in many provinces in the upcoming election. Ipsos stated that, while the DA continues to dominate in the Western Cape, it will need a strong campaign if it hopes to make significant gains elsewhere.
“With two months of campaigning still to go, competition is likely to intensify across much of the country as parties seek to consolidate support in their strongholds while making inroads into areas where they currently trail competitors,” Ipsos explained.
Ipsos poll points to competitive local elections
EFF Western Cape Provincial chairperson Unathi Ntame said the ANC does not have an organisation in the Western Cape.
Ntame reckoned: “The ANC in the Western Cape died a long time ago, and there’s nothing that they can do to resuscitate it. Their organisational factionalism is making things even worse for them as they cannot manage their internal politics.”
He said the only party that will grow in Cape Town is the EFF, as per research from Ipsos.
Ipsos has also highlighted that many metros will be headed for a coalition government after the elections next month.
DA's formidable support base
Professor Zwelinzima Ndevu, head of Stellenbosch University’s School of Public Leadership, said the DA has built a formidable support base in the Western Cape, which will be difficult to break.
He said the ANC has been relatively weak in the province, which makes an attempt to make inroads in the DA stronghold almost impossible.
Ndevu told IOL Media: “The expectation is that both the ANC and the DA will continue to consolidate and keep their voter base, which will lead to the DA winning the city comfortably.
He added: “The decision not to announce Mayoral candidates came as a surprise to many of us, as we would have loved to see the calibre of the people that they will choose.
“On the other hand, for the ANC it was important to keep a united front during the election period, and the possibility of those not choosing to campaign was huge.
Ndevu said that for an ordinary voter, the choice of a candidate would influence their vote, which would have given them the opportunity to get even non-ANC voters.
He also admitted that the inequality in the Western Cape is well-known, and the DA hasn't done much to change the situation, and it is still on racial lines.
Ndevu did, however, predict that smaller parties could pick away at the traditional powers in the rural areas.
He said: “Where I think there will be strong competition is in the rural part of the Western Cape where new kids on the block will try to eat away votes from the DA and the ANC.”