Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

09 November 2026

4-minute read

The South African political landscape is entering an extremely complicated era with over 130 hung councils across all provinces.

Political analysts Dr Dale McKinley and Tasneem Essop spoke to Ml Ravat on the difficult task opposing political parties now face at finding common ground to found coalitions.

Election Surprises

Tasneem states that the performance of the SACP, the surge for ActionSA particularly in the Gauteng metros, and the level of decline of ANC support are factors that have surprised her this local government election. Dr McKinley, on the other hand, says that for him there were no real surprises; the election merely mirrors the long-term process of what’s been happening on South Africa’s political landscape. “The biggest vote was the no-vote,” he adds.

Turning the Coalitions Corner

Tasneem says that although the Government of National Unity has set the tone for coalition negotiations, all parties need to accept that they do not have outright control in the councils or in the metros. Following the “coalition chaos” and municipal dysfunction in the metros that is very off-putting, the dynamics have changed in that no single party will be able to dictate the terms of a coalition but will have to rely on each other.

Can a Doomsday Coalition Work?

According to Dr McKinley, while “the choices are between bad and worse,” the doomsday coalition of MK-EFF-other would not benefit the majority of citizens. MK has shown “no capacity to govern,” while other parties like the EFF may “talk a good game” but show their true colours when they come into power. Voters “look at what people do, not what they say.” Alternatively, an ANC-DA coalition would be more of what the country has seen with the GNU, but it does not benefit the poorer, working class. Citizens, resident and civic organizations must come forward and understand that political parties alone are not going to deliver on their promises without “constant action, constant pressure, and constant push” from their side.

Who Benefits from an ANC-DA Coalition?

Because the DA is not going up in proportion to the ANC’s decline, the “ANC’s electoral defeats are being delivered by other parties.” Tasneem points out that even though the DA has taken an upward turn in this election, their growth is marginal. She highlights that an ANC-DA coalition will benefit the DA who want to be in control in the coalitions they join. At the same time, an ANC-DA coalition will keep the ANC in power.

Was the Issue of Immigration Foremost on Voter’s Minds?

The issue of foreign migrants was a predominant political issue in KZN and Gauteng but was a non-issue for most of the other parts of the country.  Dr McKinley mentions that it is an issue that will have to be dealt with much more responsibly and maturely, and not in the weaponised way it was taken advantage of by March-and-March. Post-elections, how this issue affects people’s daily lives and their socio-economic realties will have to considered.

Tasneem feels that the outcome of this election points to the effect of service delivery issues, infrastructure and unemployment on people’s daily lives, and not on the immigration issue.

Clarity from Coalitions

In the lead-up to the formation of coalitions, voters want greater levels of transparency and involvement in terms of what those coalitions will look like. Taneem hopes that voters will be made aware of what power-sharing arrangements will look like, and what those governments will do for municipalities across South Africa.

For Dr McKinley, the key factor is whether service delivery issues will be dealt with and promises will be delivered on. People are interested in “their rubbish being collected, their lights being turned on, and when they put their taps on, their water come out,” he concludes.

Listen to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and guests Dr Dale McKinley and Tasneem Essop here.