South Africa’s ANC loses mayors in Johannesburg and Pretoria

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME
Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South Africa’s ruling party, the African National Congress, has lost control of the city councils of Johannesburg and other major cities, following recent local government elections. The ANC won less than 50% of the votes in the municipal elections earlier this month, a major blow for the party of Nelson Mandela, which has ruled the country since the fall of apartheid in 1994 and has seen its support wane in successive elections. The ANC compounded its problems by failing to form coalitions with smaller opposition parties., losing control of Johannesburg, the country’s largest city, as well as Ekurhuleni and the metropolitan area of Tshwane, which includes the capital Pretoria.