Pretoria. (NMG) South Africa's governing ANC has taken collective responsibility for the recent disastrous municipal elections. 

It did not move to recall President Jacob Zuma.

The party’s secretary-general Gwede Mantashe described the talks in the 86-member executive committee as “frank, rough, open and robust”.

Mr Mantashe who is in charge of the day-to-day running of the governing party said: “The NEC unanimously agreed to take collective responsibility for the poor performance of the ANC during the elections and resolved to take immediate and bold actions to address the weaknesses and shortcomings that led to the decline of our electoral support.”

Some smaller opposition parties currently locked in coalition talks with the ANC demanded that President Zuma be removed if it wants their support.

Mr Mantashe rejected this, saying: "We are prepared to take to the opposition benches if we have to.”

There is no doubt the ANC is in decline. If its supports continues to ebb away, it could even lose the 2019 general election, despite dominating every poll since 1994.