Winds of Change

By all accounts the only people surprised by the results of South Africas local government elections in August were those in the ANC ruling party.

For the first time since coming to power in 1994， the ANC saw its national support drop to below 60 percent. The party of legendary freedom struggle icons like Oliver Tambo and Nelson Mandela was handed a rude awakening by voters.

While there were several municipalities which changed their power base， the biggest upsets were the ANC losing the big municipalities of Nelson Mandela Bay and Tshwane， which includes the administrative capital city of Pretoria， and losing control of Johannesburg， something previously unimaginable in ANC-led South Africa. The election results now see opposition parties opting to cooperate and govern these areas in the form of a multiparty coalition led by the Democratic Alliance （DA） and influenced by the fast-rising Economic Freedom Fighters （EFF）.

The DA retained its control in Cape Town and party leader Mmusi Maimane called the poll result a tipping point for the people of South Africa.

Voters dissatisfaction with the ruling party revolves around the lack of basic service delivery that includes water， sanitation and electricity， an unemployment figure that hovers around 25 percent and ongoing corruption scandals both within the ANC and plaguing President Jacob Zuma from the time he took office in 2009.

However， despite the drop in party support， Zuma continues to have strong backing in large parts of rural South Africa， as well as retaining the loyalty of the ANC hierarchy. The partys leadership is adamant that they will not lay the blame on Zuma and the scandals that follow him for their failure at the polls， saying they take collective responsibility.

The Daily Maverick reported Zuma told the ANCs National Executive Committee， while assessing the election results， that the partys 53.9 percent of the national vote should not be perceived as a defeat as it was double what the closest contender， the DA， had achieved nationally.

But while the party leaders put on a brave face， some analysts see the writing on the wall.

“A battle in the party could emerge from these poor results and the ANC would have to find a dignified exit strategy for Zuma，” independent political analyst Daniel Silke told AFP.

The exit in question refers to the months leading up to the 2019 national election and a change in presidency as Zumas second term comes to an end. It will be a rocky road for the ANC. The party has no option but to face much introspection and work harder to reestablish the unquestionable faith once shown by its supporters. Despite closing ranks around Zuma， this fact has at least been acknowledged by ANC leaders as they look ahead to the partys future.

Zizi Kodwa， ANC national spokesperson， said the party would return to the people to reconnect and work to dispel the perception that the ANC is arrogant， soft on corruption， and lacking in stable leadership.

While the ANC said it would embark on bold strategies to reenergize its structures and supporters， Zuma remains the elephant in the room. Will his continued presence further alienate the electorate？

The winds of change are blowing hotly in South African politics.