Coalition battles ahead in key South African cities as vote counting wraps up

An outright majority means one political party controls more than half the seats in a city’s governing council. That gives it enough support to choose leaders, pass budgets, and make decisions without relying on another party. It is different from simply being the largest party.

For example, the ANC remains South Africa’s largest party, but partial results show it winning nearly 31% of votes after 90% were counted. That share was not enough to secure a majority in Johannesburg, Pretoria, or any of the other eight major metros. The DA also gained about a quarter of the vote but remained short of outright control.

Without a majority, parties must seek partners to govern. This can produce coalitions, but the article says such arrangements have often been unstable. Disputes between partners can consume local administrations and weaken basic service delivery. Final results were expected on Sunday.

The ANC had nearly 31% of the vote when 90% of ballots had been counted. It remained South Africa’s largest party, but that result represented a major loss of support for a party that once dominated national politics. The decline prevented it from winning an outright majority in any of the eight major metropolitan areas.

The DA, the second-largest party, won around a quarter of the vote. It gained ground and moved ahead in several urban contests, including Johannesburg, but still fell short of the support it received at its 2016 peak. Its stronger urban performance did not translate into single-party control across the major metros.

Because no party secured a majority in any of the eight metros, coalition negotiations will be necessary. Parties must now bargain over alliances capable of forming local governments. The article warns that these arrangements can be unstable and may distract leaders from delivering basic services.

The ANC is losing support because many voters are frustrated with corruption and the party’s failure to tackle unemployment. The unemployment rate tops 34%, according to the article. That is a serious political problem because it shows that economic hardship remains widespread more than three decades after apartheid ended.

The party’s declining support is visible in the partial election results. With 90% of votes counted, the ANC had nearly 31%, while newer or rival parties benefited from voters moving away from it. The article identifies uMkhonto weSizwe, led by former president Jacob Zuma, as the biggest beneficiary of the fragmented ANC vote.

The ANC remains the largest party, but it no longer dominates city politics as it once did. It is set to miss outright majorities in all eight major metros. That loss of control means it may need coalition partners, giving rivals greater influence over local governments and future political negotiations.

A coalition government is an administration run by two or more political parties. The parties combine their seats or support so they can choose leaders, pass budgets, and make decisions. Coalitions become necessary when no party wins enough seats to control the council alone.

That situation is emerging across South Africa’s major cities. The ANC remains the largest party but is set to miss an outright majority in Johannesburg, Pretoria, and the other eight major metros. The DA has gained ground, while MK and other parties have helped fragment the vote. No single party therefore has sufficient support to govern alone.

The next stage will involve complex negotiations. Parties will bargain to assemble governing alliances, sometimes across political differences. The article notes that these marriages of convenience have often proved unstable. If partners cannot cooperate, local administrations may become consumed by internal wrangling instead of delivering basic services.

When no party can govern alone, parties negotiate by comparing their seats and political priorities. They seek partners whose combined support is enough to choose a governing leadership and pass important decisions. The resulting agreement may include shared responsibilities, policy commitments, or support for particular votes.

The article describes this process as bargaining to assemble alliances. In Gauteng, which includes Johannesburg and Pretoria, analyst Daniel Silke said voters might prefer the DA to govern with centre-right ActionSA. Yet he also warned that animosity between the two parties is extreme. Their relationship shows why having compatible numbers does not automatically create a workable partnership.

Negotiations will be especially complex because the ANC, DA, MK, the Economic Freedom Fighters, and smaller parties may all matter. Existing national coalition arrangements could further complicate local talks. Any agreement must provide enough stability to govern, or internal conflict may damage decision-making and basic service delivery.

When coalition partners repeatedly fight or withdraw support, a city government can become unstable. Leaders may spend more time defending their positions, replacing allies, or surviving votes than planning and implementing policies. Decisions can be delayed because no proposal has reliable backing.

The article gives the broader consequence directly: such marriages of convenience have often proved unstable, leaving local administrations consumed by internal wrangling. Instead of concentrating on governing, parties become locked in disputes over control and cooperation. This turns political disagreement into an administrative problem.

The likely effect is weaker basic service delivery, which the article identifies as a cost of coalition instability. Continued conflict can also make it harder to pass budgets or maintain consistent priorities. In cities without outright majorities, the success of governing alliances will therefore depend on whether partners can cooperate after the election results are final.

Johannesburg, Pretoria, and the other major metros matter because they are large urban contests where parties compete for substantial political influence. The article highlights them as places in which the ANC failed to win outright control. Their results therefore show how national party loyalties are changing and where coalition politics will be tested most visibly.

Municipal governments generally make local decisions about services and city administration. The article does not list every responsibility, but it specifically warns that unstable coalitions can harm basic service delivery. In practice, residents experience municipal government through the services and local decisions managed by city authorities.

The political stakes are high because no party won a majority in any of the eight major metros. The DA moved ahead in several urban contests, including Johannesburg, while negotiations may bring together parties with serious disagreements. If those coalitions hold, they can govern; if they fracture, daily administration may suffer.