The African National Congress (ANC) in Johannesburg may be forced to form a coalition with the Democratic Alliance (DA) after the latest election results. According to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), the DA is currently leading in Johannesburg, followed by the ANC and ActionSA. Despite this, the ANC's Johannesburg regional secretary, Sasabona Manganye, stated that the party would prefer not to work with the DA, citing ideological differences.
Manganye mentioned that the ANC's coalition framework does not exclude any party, but the party views the DA as a representative of white monopoly capital, which it considers an enemy of the National Democratic Revolution. He added that the ANC would not want the DA to be its first choice in a coalition because the two parties do not advance the same agenda. However, the ANC leadership appears to be amenable to working with the DA in Johannesburg.
DA federal chair Solly Msimanga stated that coalition discussions would take place at a national level, considering the working relationship between parties broadly rather than focusing only on Johannesburg. He added that the DA would consider its principles before engaging with any political party and that it was too early to make any decisions before the results had passed the 50% mark. Msimanga also mentioned that the DA would not be willing to give the Johannesburg mayoral position to another party if it formed a coalition.
ActionSA president Herman Mashaba stated that his party was willing to work with any political party whose numbers make sense, even the DA, as long as DA leader Helen Zille was not involved. Mashaba accused Zille of being a racist, dishonest, and a backstabber. ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said the party would wait for the results before discussing coalitions, adding that he did not have a mandate to declare who they would work with or against.
ANC deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane stated that the party was open to engaging with anyone, irrespective of the positions they held towards it. The engagements would be guided by principles. Mokonyane added that the numbers reflected on the IEC results board showed a recovery from the 2016 local government elections, when the party lost Johannesburg.
Mokonyane mentioned that it would be premature to discuss whether the ANC would work with its current coalition partners in Johannesburg or even the DA. She said the party needed to consider putting together a package that promotes stability, efficiency, and accountability upon receiving the final results. The ANC's coalition framework and historical trends suggest that a coalition is a probable outcome.
The ANC and DA have had a complicated relationship in the past, with both parties accusing each other of negotiating in bad faith. In July 2024, after failed negotiations between the ANC in Gauteng and the DA, Zille stated that if her party formed part of a government of provincial unity in Gauteng, it would consider a deal to govern all the hung municipalities in the province together.
Key points
- ANC may need to form a coalition with DA in Johannesburg despite regional resistance
- DA leading in Johannesburg, followed by ANC and ActionSA
- Coalition discussions to take place at national level, considering party principles
