In South Africa, local elections are being held Wednesday. While the ruling ANC Party is expected to maintain its strong hold on local government, there is some dissatisfaction over its lack of progress in certain areas.
\Voice of America reporter Delia Robertson is following today’s vote. From Johannesburg, she spoke to English to Africa’s Joe De Capua about the status of the ANC and the lack of power among opposition parties.
She says, “I think the outcome is not going to be hugely different to what it has been the last two local elections we’ve had in South Africa. That is, that the African National Congress will probably still win an overwhelming in many places. But what has happened in the lead-up to this election is that they have prompted in areas where there have been failures in delivery. Things like electricity, potable water, things of that nature. Where local municipalities are not working, and many of them are not, it’s prompted a great deal of interest in the election. And this has caused a great deal of dissatisfaction among many people with the ruling party.”
Recent polls show a drop in popularity for the ANC in major urban areas, but not enough for an opposition party to take advantage of. Robertson says, “I think the problem is that the opposition parties have been unable to focus on issues that would win voters. What they have don instead is attack each other and also attack the ANC, but don’t actually come up with a plan that is articulated in a way that grabs people’s attention and support.”