LGE 2026: Ramaphosa confident ANC will receive ‘outright majority’ in Joburg

With just over a week to go before the elections, the ANC said it is focused on reclaiming its electoral majority in Johannesburg.

Despite a decline in the African National Congress (ANC)’s support in Johannesburg over the past elections, party president Cyril Ramaphosa is confident the organisation will make gains in the upcoming polls.

Ramaphosa was speaking during a door-to-door campaign in Diepkloof, Soweto, on Sunday.

In 2006, the ANC secured 62% of the vote in the City of Johannesburg, which remains its highest electoral support in the city to date.

However, its support has declined in every subsequent municipal election, dropping to 58% in 2011 before falling to 44% in 2016, when it lost its outright majority for the first time.

In 2021, the party recorded a further decline in the City of Gold, securing just 33% of the vote.

Asked whether the 4 November elections would reverse this downward trend, Ramaphosa’s response was simply: “Wait and see”.

“We are going to get an outright majority in the metro. That is a given. It’s going to happen. We are confident of a victory. You wait and see. There are going to be a lot of celebrations after the 4th of November by the ANC.”

An elections poll by the Social Research Foundation suggests the ANC’s electoral support in the city could dwindle to 18%.

WATER SUPPLY ISSUES IN DIEPKLOOF

Some Diepkloof residents in Soweto have confronted Ramaphosa about water supply issues in their community.

The local councillor also told residents that Diepkloof’s infrastructure was originally designed to accommodate about 6,800 people, but the area’s population has since grown to more than 38,000.