ANC admits disappointment after poor Cape Town election showing - IOL

The African National Congress (ANC) in the Western Cape will have to reassess its election strategy and strengthen its engagement with communities following a disappointing performance in the 2026 Local Government Elections.

The party’s proposed mayoral candidate for Cape Town, Jerimia Thuynsma, says the results point to the need for honest reflection and difficult decisions as the party seeks to rebuild its support in the metro.

Speaking at the Results Operation Centre at Century City as results counting reached 80 percent in the province around midday, Thuynsma acknowledged that the party had expected a stronger showing.

He shared: “Needless to say, we are disappointed with what we see on the big screen, simply because we anticipated doing much better than what is reflected.”

Thuynsma believes the low voter turnout among ANC supporters in the metro was a significant factor in the party's performance. While voters in rural areas turned out to cast their ballots, many ANC supporters in Cape Town stayed away from voting stations.

He described this as a vote of no confidence in the party, adding that the ANC needs to establish why its supporters chose not to participate in the elections.

Thuynsma said: “In the metro, our people basically stayed at home. And that in itself, basically, is a vote of no confidence as far as I'm concerned.”

He says the party's immediate priority will be to rebuild relationships with communities and ensure that elected ward councillors remain accessible beyond election periods.

One of the measures being considered is introducing monthly community feedback meetings, where residents can raise concerns and engage directly with their ward councillors.

“They must have report-back meetings every month so they can engage with our communities and our communities engage with them. That way we stay connected with our people,” he said.

Thuynsma also believes the ANC should make better use of its representation in national government to address service delivery failures in communities where municipalities are struggling.

“There can't be a case of us being in national government, and then we see service delivery failure in our communities, and we just complain about it,” he said.

For wards where the ANC secures representation, Thuynsma says its councillors have also been encouraged to develop ward-based Integrated Development Plans (IDPs).

These plans will be informed by consultations with residents and will identify the priorities that need to be addressed in their communities.

“Because that basically means that they will work with the officials of the City of Cape Town, provincial government, and even national government to get the issues that our communities have raised to be delivered,” Thuynsma said.

He says this approach will require cooperation across all three spheres of government to ensure residents receive the services they need.

The ANC will now have to focus on rebuilding trust, improving its strategy and demonstrating its commitment to communities through consistent engagement and service delivery.