Sipho Kekana
As the 2016 local government elections come to a close, power shifts to challenge the dominant party in both the big metros and local councils emerged, seemingly ringing in a new era of coalition and compromise.
In more than 20 local councils no party managed to get a majority. It is mostly a result of the close contest between the ANC and the DA, with the third role player ranging from the EFF to IFP, VF Plus, COPE, KDF, KOP, KSR as well as independents required to decide which parties will govern the councils.
In some local municipalities, as in Mtubatuba in KwaZulu Natal and Kannaland in the Western Cape, it is the DA and the ANC who are poised to play the role of kingmaker. Smaller parties like ICOSA are emerging as strong enough to win municipalities, while more and more independents are able to contest wards and win.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Metro remains hung with the DA as the leading party and possibly the EFF playing the role of kingmaker. The City of Tshwane, City of Johannesburg, and possibly Ekurhuleni look set to have more than one party making up mayoral committees.
With the results of less than 10 municipalities still to be declared, the following hung councils will require some kind of cooperation or coalitions between parties to form governing majorities:
The metros
DA – 46.71%, 57 Seats
ANC – 40.92%, 50 Seats
EFF – 5.12%, 6 Seats
Western Cape
Beaufort West
Hessequa
Laingsburg
Bitou
Kannaland
Prince Albert
ANC – 46.73%, 8 Seats
DA – 41.01%, 7 Seats
KSR – 5.15%, 1 Seat
DA 49.61%, 10 Seats
ANC 32.14%, 7 Seats
COPE 5.71, 1 Seats
Gauteng
Mogale City
Limpopo
Modimolle/Mookgopong
Thabazimbi
KwaZulu-Natal
Mtubatuba
Estcourt/Loskop
Nquthu
Abaqulusi
Endumeni
Jozini
eDumbe
Northern Cape
Kgatelopele
Ubuntu
Nama Khoi
Free State
Metsimaholo
North West
Rustenburg