President Zuma presides over a deeply unpopular government, and polls suggest that the ANC might lose its grip on key cities such as Johannesburg, Pretoria and Port Elizabeth in the elections. But even if its support is reduced from the 62 per cent that it captured in the 2014 national election, the ANC is unlikely to fall below 50 per cent in most cities in the local elections – and its racial sloganeering is a key reason for its probable victory.
