The African National Congress (ANC) is set to hold crucial meetings to determine its approach to coalition negotiations following its worst electoral performance yet. The party's national working committee will convene, followed by a national executive committee meeting, where its coalition task team will present options for adoption ahead of formal negotiations. This comes after the ANC garnered 30.7% of the votes nationally, with the Democratic Alliance (DA), uMkhonto weSizwe (MK), and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) following closely.
The ANC's poor performance has resulted in hundreds of hung municipal councils across South Africa, with only Cape Town being governed with an outright majority. The DA secured 56.42% of the vote in Cape Town, while Nelson Mandela Bay, Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Buffalo City, and Ethekwini will be governed through coalitions. The ANC's national leadership will have to navigate these complex negotiations to secure partnerships and maintain governance in these municipalities.
In some areas, the ANC is considering taking the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to the Electoral Court over disputed results. The party's internal structures have recommended this move, particularly in Emfuleni, where the ANC garnered 23.9% of the vote, trailing behind the DA's 40.9%. Nationally, the DA secured 24.64% of the vote. The ANC's decision to pursue legal action highlights the party's concerns over the electoral process.
The ANC's struggles were evident in Ekurhuleni's ward 6 in Thembisa, where ActionSA ended the party's 20-year hold on the ward. ActionSA secured 38.84% of the vote, finishing 6.2 percentage points ahead of the ANC. The ward, which covers six sections, had been an ANC stronghold since the 2021 local elections, when the party won with 64.3% of the vote. ActionSA's victory demonstrates a shift in the electoral landscape.
The ANC's coalition task team will present options for adoption ahead of formal negotiations, which will likely be complex and challenging. The party will have to balance its interests with those of its potential coalition partners, while also addressing the concerns of its supporters. The outcome of these negotiations will have significant implications for the governance of municipalities across South Africa.
The ANC's poor performance has raised questions about its future and the potential for coalition governments to become the norm in South African politics. The party's national leadership will have to navigate these challenges and develop a strategy to regain support and maintain its position as a dominant force in South African politics.
As the ANC begins coalition negotiations, it will have to contend with a changed electoral landscape. The party's traditional strongholds are no longer secure, and it will have to adapt to a new reality where coalitions are the norm. The outcome of these negotiations will have far-reaching implications for the future of South African politics and the governance of municipalities across the country.
Key points
- ANC's national leadership meets to determine coalition approach after worst electoral performance
- ANC considers taking IEC to Electoral Court over disputed results
- ActionSA ends ANC's 20-year hold on Ekurhuleni's ward 6 in Thembisa
