As South Africans prepare to vote on 4 November 2026, the country's municipalities face numerous challenges, including poverty, unemployment, crime, landlessness, and lack of affordable housing. These issues are not new, and voters must acknowledge their role in choosing the parties that have contributed to these problems. Repeatedly voting for the same parties without holding them accountable for unfulfilled promises is no longer a valid excuse. The democratic government must account for its failures, particularly in addressing the legacy of slavery, colonialism, and apartheid.
Many municipalities suffer from technical skill deficits, high vacancy rates in key positions, and the appointment of unqualified personnel, leading to maladministration, corruption, and slow implementation of consequence management. The Auditor-General of South Africa regularly reports poor audit outcomes across most of the country's 257 municipalities. Coalition governments have become the norm, with some municipalities run by opposition parties, especially metros. While coalitions ensure broader representation, they create deep structural complications and friction, including ideological and policy differences.
The reality of coalition municipalities is marked by political instability, budget disruption, administrative interference, and compromised service delivery. Coalition partners often share no common ideological ground, uniting purely to keep a mutual rival out of power. This "enemy-determined" coalition is a shaky foundation for governance, and without a common enemy, the partners are pressed to face their contradictory ideologies and policy aspirations. This leads to a lack of shared policy and implementation vision, making coherent governance and service delivery virtually impossible.
According to Professor Boitumelo Senokoane, an Associate Professor in the College of Human Sciences at Unisa, working together out of convenience becomes a problem when it replaces shared alignment with proximity. This creates partnerships built on ease rather than compatibility, introducing severe hidden trade-offs that ultimately erode performance, trust, and long-term sustainability. The "new normal" of coalition politics establishes a complex layer of structural and operational disputes that fundamentally reshape governance.
Senokoane notes that there is nothing wrong with coalition governments or Grand National Unity (GNU) itself, but it is essential to acknowledge the complications that come with it. Coalition arrangements can ensure broader representation, but they also create friction and challenges. The key to successful coalition governance is finding a shared vision and common goals, rather than uniting solely to oppose a rival party.
The complications of coalition governments are evident in the challenges faced by municipalities, including unreliable water and electricity supplies and anti-immigration issues. These challenges require a coordinated response from all parties involved, but the lack of shared vision and policy alignment hinders effective governance. As South Africans prepare to vote, it is essential to consider the implications of coalition governments and the need for a shared vision and common goals.
Ultimately, the success of coalition governments in South Africa depends on the ability of parties to work together towards a common goal, rather than uniting solely to oppose a rival party. By acknowledging the complications of coalition governments and working towards a shared vision, South Africans can build a more effective and sustainable system of governance.
Key points
- Coalition governments bring representation but also structural complications and friction.
- The lack of shared policy and implementation vision hinders effective governance in coalition municipalities.
- Successful coalition governance requires a shared vision and common goals.
