ANC vows "soul searching" after election losses but says Ramaphosa will stay put

Days after a drobbing at the ballot box, the leaders of South Africa's ruling ANC met to discuss the way forward. In last week's local elections, the party's vote share dropped by 15 points to just 31 percent. But the party's clear that President Ramaphosa is staying put. There is a lot of fabrication about that the president is trying to decide. Sorry. And we urge South Africans to treat that as such. There is a performance. This local government elections requires a proper reflection today, since the day when that is going to happen. And it will be a productive discussion. The President ran and led the campaign with excellence. I'm sure all Africans, some of whom are traveling with us, just crossing the country, would have noted how he led from the front. And there is no sense in which the president should be resigning. The ANC has vowed to enter a period of soul-searching to see how to win back voters. For now, to remain in local government, it will have to engage with other parties. Respecting the choices voters have made and acknowledge the decline in our support, and that despite that decline, the ANC remains an organisation with clear policy positions in the programme. That can improve the lives of all South Africans going to this meeting this morning confident in the program and determined to put it to work. Our local government elections manifesto sets out how we intend to build better. Many communities have been waiting a long time for local municipalities to deliver basic services including water and electricity. Their patience may be running out.