By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) National Executive Committee (NEC) resolved that the Democratic Alliance (DA) should be treated as a “party of last resort” for municipal coalitions following the 2026 local government elections.
The ANC’s share of the national vote fell from 45.59% in 2021 to 30.76% in 2026, although it remained the country’s largest party.
The DA secured 24.64%, followed by the MK Party on 9.76%, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on 6.22% and ActionSA on 5.67%.
With 137 of the country’s 213 municipal councils hung, parties face negotiations to secure governing majorities.
The ANC held an NEC meeting to discuss the direction the party should take in approaching coalition negotiations.
Fullview learnt that the NEC did not completely rule out working with the DA, mandating the party to pursue “tactical flexibility” and talk to all political parties where numbers require it.
Most of the NEC members bemoaned the relationship with the DA as having tarnished the party and losing its base due to the Government of National Unity (GNU) arrangement.
Fullview also learnt that some of the members within the NEC want the relationship with DA to end, according to people familiar with the matter.
A previous push within the ANC to jettison the DA failed, and it’s unclear how much support the proposal would have this time around.
The ANC and DA continue to partner nationally in the GNU—which was formed after the 2024 general election where the ANC won 40% and the DA won 23%—viewed by proponents as a stabilizer against populist or radical parties like the MK Party and EFF.
The party acknowledged that teaming up with a multitude of small, fractured parties carries severe stability risks, and recognized that the DA remains a larger, more structured option in specific metros like Johannesburg, Tshwane, and Ekurhuleni.
The coalition talks will remain tightly centralized under ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula and the national negotiating team, with the NEC criticizing local moves to bypass leadership structures.
It has also came to our attention that ANC is also considering engaging the SACP to ask the party to give the PR seats in some of the councils in Gauteng.
However the discussions were still informal, but the SACP had already approached the ANC to discuss coalitions.
The Extended Special NEC decisions are expected to be communicated tomorrow in a media briefing that is yet to be confirmed.
Meanwhile the Patriotic Alliance (PA) and ActionSA struck their first coalition deal in the Laingsburg Local Municipality, with the PA supporting ActionSA’s mayoral candidate.
ActionSA has been meeting with multiple parties since the election results were finalised, including the ANC, DA, and PA.
The party has indicated that it is willing to engage with parties across the political spectrum, including the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK) and other smaller parties.
The DA has also been engaging across traditional red lines, having met with the EFF and setting a date to meet with the Umkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party.