Race Still Counts: 2011 Local Government Elections in South Africa

Policy Study

At the recent local government election in South Africa on 18th May 2011 the ANC lost about 3% to the 2006 local elections but still remains the dominant party with over 63% of the votes. Despite the normal wear and tear of a party in government and despite angry protests over the lack of service delivery in many communities, for the majority of blacks the ANC is still the liberation party to which they have strong emotional links. An analysis of four wards in Meqheleng where one protester was killed by the police during protests over lack of service delivery shows that the black voter, if dissatisfied with the ANC, rather stays away from the election instead of shifting his vote to another party.

Read the article by Arnold Wehmhoerner, FEPS Correspondent for Southern Africa