约翰内斯堡，11月8日 - 南非非洲人国民大会党（ANC）在上周的市政选举中遭受沉重打击，周日公布的几乎完整的选举结果显示，这削弱了其在随后组建市政府的联合谈判中的地位。
JOHANNESBURG, Nov 8 - South Africa's African National Congress (ANC) was dealt a stinging blow in last week's municipal elections, near-complete results showed on Sunday, weakening its hand in the coalition talks that will follow to form city governments.
在99%的选票计票完毕后，ANC获得31%的选票，其主要对手民主联盟（DA）获得25%。前总统雅各布·祖马领导的乌姆肯托韦西祖韦党（uMkhonto weSizwe）获得约10%的选票，排名第三，其余选票则在数百个小党派之间分配。
With 99% of votes counted, the ANC had 31% against 25% for its main rival, the Democratic Alliance (DA). Former President Jacob Zuma's party uMkhonto weSizwe had about 10% of votes, putting it in third place, while the rest was split between hundreds of smaller parties.
最终结果预计将于下午6点（格林尼治标准时间16:00）公布。
Final results are expected to be announced at 6 p.m. (1600 GMT).
这一结果对ANC来说是一次痛苦的挫折，该党在过去15年的地方选举中得票率持续下降，主要原因是供水和供电等基本服务出现问题。
The outcome marks a painful setback for the ANC, which has seen its vote share fall steadily in local elections over the last 15 years due largely to failures in basic services such as water and electricity.
由于包括南非商业中心约翰内斯堡在内的许多城市没有任何一个政党获得超过50%的选票，ANC和DA将不得不联手，或与小党派协商，以组建多数市政政府。
Since no party won more than 50% of votes in many cities including South Africa's commercial hub Johannesburg, the ANC and DA will have to team up, or hash it out with smaller parties to form majority municipal governments.
联合谈判即将开始 ANC秘书长菲基莱·姆巴拉（Fikile Mbalula）称该结果对ANC来说是“灾难性的”，但表示当联合谈判很快开始时，该党不会乞求职位。
COALITION TALKS TO START SOON ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula called the result "catastrophic" for the ANC but said the party would not go begging for positions when coalition talks begin soon.
“当人民告诉我们我们有所欠缺时……诚实的答案不是与他们争论，而是回家整顿好我们的家园，”姆巴拉周六表示。各政党将有14天的时间进行谈判，然后才能组建市议会。
"When the people tell us we have fallen short... the honest answer is not to argue with them but to go home and put our house in order," Mbalula said on Saturday. Parties will have 14 days to negotiate before city councils are formed.
在约翰内斯堡，亲商业的民主联盟以约35%的选票领先，而ANC为20%。
In Johannesburg, the pro-business DA led the count with about 35% of votes, compared to 20% for the ANC.
这可能让民主联盟资深人士海伦·齐勒（Helen Zille）有很好的机会成为市长，这取决于达成的联合协议。齐勒此前曾以修补坑洼和漏水水管为竞选主张。
民主联盟在一份声明中表示，它将与“致力于廉洁负责任的政府、根除腐败、为所有人提供服务、法治和非种族主义的政党”发起联合讨论。
That could give DA veteran Helen Zille, who had campaigned on fixing potholes and leaking water pipes, a good chance of becoming mayor, depending on the coalition agreements reached. The DA said in a statement that it would initiate coalition discussions with "political parties that share a commitment to clean and accountable government, rooting out corruption, service delivery for all, the rule of law, and non-racialism".