Political parties are scrambling to secure power in more than 120 hung municipalities, with just two weeks to settle fierce rivalries, competing mayoral ambitions and demands that could reach as far as President Cyril Ramaphosa’s future.
By yesterday afternoon, figures compiled from Electoral Commission results showed that 126 of 195 declared municipal councils had no outright majority.
The number has almost doubled from approximately 70 hung councils after the 2021 local government elections, placing more municipalities at the mercy of coalition negotiations.
Metropolitan municipalities
Seven of the country’s eight metropolitan municipalities were heading for coalition governments, including Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, eThekwini, Nelson Mandela Bay, Buffalo City and Mangaung.
The Municipal Structures Act requires municipal managers to convene the first meetings of newly elected councils within 14 days of their declaration.
The ANC’s Top Seven met on Friday and are due to reconvene tomorrow to analyse the results before a national leadership meeting on Thursday to determine the party’s coalition framework.
The DA has started sending invitations to political parties across the country to begin coalition discussions, a source familiar with a federal executive meeting told Sunday World yester-day morning.
“There might be different permutations in one area versus another,” the source said, adding that “the conversation cannot be only about one municipality or one province”.
DA and ActionSA proposals
Sunday World understands that the DA has approached ActionSA with a proposal involving the three Gauteng metros.
According to a source account, ActionSA would retain Tshwane in exchange for supporting DA control of Ekurhuleni.
Both parties would govern Johannesburg together, with the DA’s Helen Zille taking the mayoralty. Neither party has publicly confirmed the proposed arrangement.
However, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has openly opposed Zille, despite his party needing partners to secure control of Johannesburg and Tshwane.
Mashaba wants to return as Johannesburg mayor, while his party colleague, Nasiphi Moya, wants to remain in charge of Tshwane.
EFF leader Julius Malema has also questioned ActionSA’s ambitions to control both cities.
“There’s no negotiation that is going to say ActionSA must have two municipalities,” Malema said.
Personal hostilities
Personal hostilities are also complicating potential agreements elsewhere.
Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie admitted on Friday that he despised the DA but would consider working with it.
MK Party KwaZulu-Natal leader Willies Mchunu said his party would consider discussions with almost everyone except the DA, which he accused of hating his party.
The MK Party has appointed a national negotiating team to handle coalition discussions, barring councillors and regional structures from concluding unauthorised agreements.
The party preferred partners sharing their positions on economic transformation and land redistribution, although they remained open to discussions.
ANC ‘not in the business of begging for mayorship’
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has warned prospective partners that the party would not surrender mayoral positions to retain power.
“We are not in the business of begging for mayorship or any other position,” Mbalula said.
He identified three options available to the ANC: entering coalitions, remaining on opposition benches or supporting minority administrations through confidence-and-supply agreements.
Mbalula said the party’s national leadership would establish binding negotiating rules and prevent regional politicians from concluding independent agreements.
“There’s not going to be small businesses with people organising themselves in different corners with a view of cutting deals,” he warned.
Possible EFF cooperation
Malema has proposed cooperation between the ANC, EFF, MK Party and SACP to prevent the DA from gaining control of municipalities.
He warned that the EFF would rather withhold its votes than accept unacceptable demands from the ANC.
“We are going to fold our arms,” Malema said.
He also suggested that the ANC should accept Ramaphosa’s removal if Jacob Zuma’s MK Party demanded it as a condition for broader cooperation.
“If MK puts a demand that Ramaphosa must go, the ANC must agree,” Malema said.
SACP and alliance loyalties
SACP general secretary Solly Mapaila has also rejected automatic cooperation with the ANC despite the parties’ long-standing alliance.
“There is no automatic support for any single party,” Mapaila said yesterday.
He said the party’s non-negotiable conditions included community services and direct budgeting for communities.
The SACP would also engage other left-wing formations before settling on possible governing arrangements, he said.
IFP and ActionSA considerations
IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa said his party expected to lead in 19 municipalities and govern five outright, subject to final results.
“We have sound experience in leading coalitions,” Hlabisa said, citing the IFP’s record in municipal government.
ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont has also said the party would negotiate with anyone willing to agree on service delivery and stable government.
“We don’t think local government is ideological. It’s about electricity, water, roads, sewage and refuse,” Beaumont said.
- A total of 126 out of 195 declared municipal councils in South Africa have no outright majority, nearly doubling since the 2021 local government elections, leading to extensive coalition negotiations.
- Seven of the country's eight metropolitan municipalities, including Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Ekurhuleni, are heading for coalition governments.
- The DA has proposed a coalition arrangement with ActionSA involving control of the three Gauteng metros, with Helen Zille potentially becoming mayor of Johannesburg, though ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba opposes Zille.
- ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula stated the ANC will not beg for mayoral positions and will set binding negotiating rules to prevent independent deal-making in coalitions.
- EFF leader Julius Malema suggested cooperation between ANC, EFF, MK Party, and SACP to block DA's control, and indicated the ANC should accept President Ramaphosa's removal if demanded by Jacob Zuma’s MK Party.
Political parties are scrambling to secure power in more than 120 hung municipalities, with just two weeks to settle fierce rivalries, competing mayoral ambitions and demands that could reach as far as President Cyril Ramaphosa’s future.
By yesterday afternoon, figures compiled from Electoral Commission results showed that 126 of 195 declared municipal councils had no outright majority.
The number has almost doubled from approximately 70 hung councils after the 2021 local government elections, placing more municipalities at the mercy of coalition negotiations.
Seven of the country’s eight metropolitan municipalities were heading for coalition governments, including Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, eThekwini, Nelson Mandela Bay, Buffalo City and Mangaung.
The Municipal Structures Act requires municipal managers to convene the first meetings of newly elected councils within 14 days of their declaration.
The ANC’s Top Seven met on Friday and are due to reconvene tomorrow to analyse the results before a national leadership meeting on Thursday to determine the party’s coalition framework.
The DA has started sending invitations to political parties across the country to begin coalition discussions, a source familiar with a federal executive meeting told Sunday World yester-day morning.
“There might be different permutations in one area versus another,” the source said, adding that “the conversation cannot be only about one municipality or one province”.
Sunday World understands that the DA has approached ActionSA with a proposal involving the three Gauteng metros.
According to a source account, ActionSA would retain Tshwane in exchange for supporting DA control of Ekurhuleni.
Both parties would govern Johannesburg together, with the DA’s Helen Zille taking the mayoralty. Neither party has publicly confirmed the proposed arrangement.
However, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has openly opposed Zille, despite his party needing partners to secure control of Johannesburg and Tshwane.
Mashaba wants to return as Johannesburg mayor, while his party colleague, Nasiphi Moya, wants to remain in charge of Tshwane.
EFF leader Julius Malema has also questioned ActionSA’s ambitions to control both cities.
“There’s no negotiation that is going to say ActionSA must have two municipalities,” Malema said.
Personal hostilities are also complicating potential agreements elsewhere.
Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie admitted on Friday that he despised the DA but would consider working with it.
MK Party KwaZulu-Natal leader Willies Mchunu said his party would consider discussions with almost everyone except the DA, which he accused of hating his party.
The MK Party has appointed a national negotiating team to handle coalition discussions, barring councillors and regional structures from concluding unauthorised agreements.
The party preferred partners sharing their positions on economic transformation and land redistribution, although they remained open to discussions.
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has warned prospective partners that the party would not surrender mayoral positions to retain power.
“We are not in the business of begging for mayorship or any other position,” Mbalula said.
He identified three options available to the ANC: entering coalitions, remaining on opposition benches or supporting minority administrations through confidence-and-supply agreements.
Mbalula said the party’s national leadership would establish binding negotiating rules and prevent regional politicians from concluding independent agreements.
“There’s not going to be small businesses with people organising themselves in different corners with a view of cutting deals,” he warned.
Malema has proposed cooperation between the ANC, EFF, MK Party and SACP to prevent the DA from gaining control of municipalities.
He warned that the EFF would rather withhold its votes than accept unacceptable demands from the ANC.
“We are going to fold our arms,” Malema said.
He also suggested that the ANC should accept Ramaphosa’s removal if Jacob Zuma’s MK Party demanded it as a condition for broader cooperation.
“If MK puts a demand that Ramaphosa must go, the ANC must agree,” Malema said.
SACP general secretary Solly Mapaila has also rejected automatic cooperation with the ANC despite the parties’ long-standing alliance.
“There is no automatic support for any single party,” Mapaila said yesterday.
He said the party’s non-negotiable conditions included community services and direct budgeting for communities.
The SACP would also engage other left-wing formations before settling on possible governing arrangements, he said.
IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa said his party expected to lead in 19 municipalities and govern five outright, subject to final results.
“We have sound experience in leading coalitions,” Hlabisa said, citing the IFP’s record in municipal government.
ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont has also said the party would negotiate with anyone willing to agree on service delivery and stable government.
“We don’t think local government is ideological. It’s about electricity, water, roads, sewage and refuse,” Beaumont said.
