Coalition Negotiations in South Africa Must Prioritize Service Delivery

The 2026 local government elections in South Africa have concluded, with the outcome being a clear message that no political party has secured an outright majority in most municipalities. This has made coalition governance a defining feature of South Africa's democratic landscape once again. As coalition negotiations begin, it is essential that the will of the electorate and the urgent need for service delivery are placed above narrow ideological preferences, factional interests, and political grandstanding.

Political parties contesting the elections did so with the intention of gaining political power and participating in government. They are not charitable organisations, but vehicles through which groups of citizens seek to influence, acquire, and exercise state power. Every candidate who stood for election, every activist who distributed campaign material, and every leader who addressed political rallies did so with the intention of winning support and securing a role in government.

Coalition politics is not an electoral accident, but a consequence of how citizens have distributed their votes. By denying individual parties outright majorities in most municipalities, voters have created the conditions for negotiated governance. This places a responsibility on political organisations to cooperate, compromise, and demonstrate political maturity. No party can simply assume that its electoral support gives it an unrestricted mandate to govern alone.

Unfortunately, South Africa's recent experience with coalition government has too often produced instability rather than cooperation. Municipalities have become testing grounds for political maneuvering, with coalition agreements collapsing almost as quickly as they are concluded. Motions of no confidence have increasingly featured in political power struggles, and residents watch as parties devote more energy to securing positions, titles, and political influence than addressing the challenges facing their communities.

Coalition negotiations should begin with one fundamental question: Which political arrangement will best serve the people who voted? The negotiations should not revolve around which party gets the mayoral chain, which political organisation secures the most committee positions, or which agreement best satisfies party headquarters. The central consideration must be whether the resulting administration can provide stable, accountable, and effective governance.

At the municipal level, politics is ultimately measured by practical outcomes. Residents want reliable electricity, functioning streetlights, clean streets, dependable water infrastructure, effective wastewater treatment, safer neighbourhoods, and opportunities for local economic development. They are less concerned with ideological purity than with whether their municipalities work. Communities do not experience government through political manifestos or ideological declarations, but through the quality of services they receive and the responsiveness of those entrusted with public office.

Achieving successful coalitions requires a different political culture, one in which coalition agreements are treated as serious governing commitments rather than temporary arrangements for accessing political office. Coalition agreements should contain measurable service delivery targets, clear timelines, and transparent accountability mechanisms. Parties must agree on how disagreements will be resolved without destabilising municipal administrations or holding residents hostage to political disputes.

Key points

• Coalition negotiations in South Africa must prioritize service delivery and place the will of the electorate above narrow ideological preferences.
• The recent experience with coalition government in South Africa has often produced instability rather than cooperation.
• Successful coalitions depend on shared objectives, clearly defined responsibilities, and a willingness to compromise in the interests of the public.