South Africa's African National Congress loses election in capital

PRETORIA, South Africa, Aug. 6 (UPI) -- South Africa's African National Congress was defeated by the opposition Democratic Alliance in election polls in the country's capital city of Pretoria for the first time in 22 years.

Sputnik News reported the Democratic Alliance led the polls with 43 percent of the vote while the incumbent ANC trailed with a total of 41 percent. The Democratic Alliance also claimed a victory in the municipality of Midvaal, winning 59 percent of the vote versus 32 percent for the ANC.

The ANC also lost to the Democratic Alliance in Nelson Mandela Bay, where party leader Mmusi Maimane, 36, addressed a crowd of people.

"For far too long, the ANC has governed South Africa with absolute impunity," he told reporters.

According to the BBC, this election is the first time the ANC has lost control of the capital city since taking power in 1994.

The Democratic Alliance also claimed 93 seats in the 214-seat Tshwane municipal council while the ANC holds 80 and the two parties remain locked in a close battle for the country's largest city, Johannesburg.

Corruption, scandals and other conflicts within the ANC have been cited as reasons for the party's worst ever electoral performance.