What South Africa's Municipal Elections Will Reveal

In South Africa, where one party dominates national politics, municipal elections offer smaller parties a chance to establish a foothold. This is how the Democratic Alliance became the largest opposition party and the principal challenger to the ruling African National Congress (ANC). Now the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), a Marxist-nationalist party founded in 2013, are hoping to follow a similar path beginning Aug. 3, when offices in districts and municipalities in all nine provinces will be up for grabs. Other opposition parties, especially the Democratic Alliance, have their sights set on victory in major metropolitan areas, which they hope could propel them forward when general elections are held in 2019....