CAPE TOWN, South Africa — South Africa’s African National Congress party faced its worst ever election results and a new low in popularity on Sunday, with voters blaming it for its failure to provide basic services like water and electricity in cities.
The once dominant ANC, the party of Nelson Mandela — had received about 30% of the vote in Wednesday’s local elections, with 99% of the ballots counted. The final results were expected Sunday evening, according to the Independent Electoral Commission.
The ANC remained the largest party in terms of total share in elections involving hundreds of parties, but the Democratic Alliance, its main opposition, received about 25% of the vote in a near-complete count.
This has brought closer to reality the once unthinkable idea that the ANC, which led South Africa out of apartheid’s white minority rule and delivered freedom in 1994 under Mandela it may not one day be his biggest party. He previously received 70% of the votes.
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