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1h ago

ANC Collapse Sends South African Cities into Coalition Scramble

Weekend results handed new leverage to the DA, ActionSA and the MK Party, threatening to reshape control of major metros.

Image
A drone view shows people queuing to vote next to uncollected garbage outside a polling station during local government elections in the Lawley informal settlement, south of Johannesburg, South Africa, November 4, 2026. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko/File Photo
A man is pulling a rubbish bin next to a pile of rubbish along the street in Alexandra township, on the outskirt of Johannesburg, South Africa, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe)
FILE - African National Congress supporters, one holding a portrait of Nelson Mandela, gather at the Mose Mabhida stadium in Durban, South Africa, Saturday, Feb. 24, 2024, for their national manifesto launch in anticipation of the 2024 general elections. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay, File)

Overview

  • The final results published over the weekend showed the African National Congress fell below 31% of the vote, its worst post‑apartheid local showing and a loss of about 1.5 million votes since 2021.
  • No party won outright majorities in many municipalities, creating roughly 127–138 hung councils and triggering a legally required 14‑day window for coalition talks to form new local governments.
  • The Democratic Alliance finished first in several key metros, including Johannesburg and Tshwane, giving it greater choice of partners to seek mayoralties and executive posts.
  • Smaller and newer parties gained decisive influence: ActionSA won large vote shares in Gauteng metros and the MK Party placed first in parts of KwaZulu‑Natal, notably displacing the ANC in eThekwini and positioning both as kingmakers.
  • The result increases pressure on ANC leadership and could reshape national political dynamics because municipal coalition deals will affect who governs cities, the delivery of local services, and the party’s internal leadership contest ahead of 2027.