By Simon Nare
The DA maintained a commanding lead in Ekurhuleni on Thursday afternoon, with provisional election results pointing to a sharp decline in ANC support and a strong showing by ActionSA.
By 3pm, the DA had secured 35.97% of the vote, followed by the ANC on 18.71% and ActionSA on 16.61%, according to figures displayed on the election results dashboard.
The Freedom Front Plus was in fourth place with 7.80%, followed by the MK Party on 6.22% and the EFF on 5.40%.
Although counting was still under way, the early results suggested a significant change in voting patterns in the metro, traditionally an ANC stronghold.
The ANC won 38.19% of the vote in 2021, compared with the DA’s 28.72%, while the EFF secured 13.57%.
The DA’s provisional share was 7.25 percentage points above its 2021 result, while the ANC was 19.48 points below its previous performance. However, these comparisons remain provisional until all voting districts have been counted.
ActionSA’s early performance also exceeded the 6.1% support projected by an eNCA/MarkData poll released in October, which placed the DA on 31.2% and the ANC on 29.4%.
The results come after years of coalition instability and service-delivery difficulties in Ekurhuleni, where ANC Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza has led the municipality through changes to its governing arrangements.
The EFF withdrew from the ANC-led governing coalition in February following a mayoral committee reshuffle, leaving the ANC heading a minority administration.
The municipality has also faced significant financial and infrastructure challenges. The Auditor-General’s 2024/25 findings raised concerns about revenue collection, billing systems, infrastructure delivery and the municipality’s financial sustainability.
Ekurhuleni has sought to address its electricity challenges through plans to procure an additional 2,400 MW of generating capacity, although the projects remain subject to procurement and implementation requirements.
The outgoing municipal council consists of 224 seats, with 113 required for an outright majority.
INSIDE METROS
