The African National Congress (ANC) will consider alternatives before entering coalition agreements with the Democratic Alliance (DA) in hung municipalities.
The decision was reportedly taken at a meeting of its national executive committee in Boksburg, Gauteng, on Thursday.
Political parties face a 26 November deadline to conclude coalition agreements in municipalities where no party secured an outright majority.
More than 130 councils were left without a clear governing majority following last week’s local government elections. The ANC remains the largest party nationally, with 30.75% of the vote. The DA is its nearest rival, with 24.65%.
SABC News reported on Friday that the ANC’s NEC had resolved to consider coalitions with the DA only as a “last resort”. This followed an earlier report by the Sunday Times that President Cyril Ramaphosa was reluctant to enter any arrangement with the party.
The prospect of co-operation with the DA has exposed divisions within the ANC. Some members have cautioned against working with the liberal party, while others regard it as necessary to ensure stability in hung councils.
Tsakani Shiviti, secretary-general of the ANC Youth League (ANCYL), has opposed any coalition arrangement with the DA. In an interview on Radio 702, she said the ideological rift between the parties was too wide.
“The (ANCYL) NEC is saying no to the DA. No to the DA, no to anything that is DA. Because the DA is pushing for right-wing policies,” she stated.
“This DA is eating what is left of us because now we can’t agree with people who disagree with us.”
Meanwhile, parties attached to the Conference of the Left have indicated their willingness to work with the ANC, provided the DA and the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) are excluded from any arrangement.
South African Communist Party (SACP) secretary-general Solly Mapaila said the bloc wanted to unite parties supported by the African majority to prevent so-called right-wing parties from governing municipalities.
“(We) want to convince all organisations, particularly those that were voted by the African majority, to work together as a bloc in councils and prevent the DA and the Freedom Front to lead our people … Those forces do not stand for their interest,” he said.
The bloc comprises the SACP, uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party, African Congress for Transformation (ACT), Africa Mayibuye Movement (AMM) and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF). Collectively, the parties secured approximately 20% of the national vote.
The DA, on the other hand, has kept its coalition negotiations largely out of the public eye. On Thursday, federal council chairperson Ashor Sarupen said the party had yet to conclude an agreement with any political organisation.
“The DA has not concluded any talks with any political party. I note media stories confidently claiming agreements have been reached by the DA. Nothing has been concluded. When we have something to report, we will report,” he posted on X.
ActionSA and the Patriotic Alliance (PA) have concluded the first reported coalition agreement, with the PA agreeing to support ActionSA’s mayoral candidate in Laingsburg Local Municipality in the Western Cape.
With the 26 November deadline approaching, negotiations remain ongoing. The composition of governing coalitions in most hung municipalities has yet to be determined.
Sources: SABC News, X.com, Sunday Times, TimesLIVE
[Image: Bonginkosi Tekane]