Julius Malema’s team forced to swallow their pride as Marshall Dlamini is spotted with ActionSA

The EFF’s 2026 Local Government Elections coalition negotiations team, led by Secretary-General Marshall Dlamini, has held its first meeting with ActionSA, marking the start of formal talks on possible coalition arrangements in municipalities where no party has an outright majority. The team says its mandate is to ensure that any agreement advances the interests of communities and upholds the EFF’s principles and values.

The meeting comes after the local government elections held on 4 November 2026, which have left several metros and municipalities without a clear winner. In South Africa’s system of proportional representation, the party with the most votes does not automatically control a council, so coalitions are often needed to elect a mayor and pass budgets. Since the 2016 elections, coalition politics has become a regular feature of local government, and many councils have struggled with instability, reshuffled leadership and delays in service delivery.

For the EFF and ActionSA, the talks are significant because the two parties have very different political identities. The EFF positions itself as a radical left-wing party focused on land expropriation, economic redistribution and the rights of the poor. ActionSA is a liberal party that emphasises good governance, economic growth, law and order and a tougher approach to municipal corruption. Any arrangement between them would require both sides to find common ground on priorities such as service delivery, budgets and municipal management, while managing the political costs of working with a partner whose ideology differs sharply from their own.

The stated mandate, which focuses on community interests and party principles, will be tested by the details of any deal. Coalition agreements usually address who will hold the mayoral position, how key committees will be allocated, what policy commitments each party will secure and how disputes will be resolved. Voters will want to know whether these arrangements produce measurable improvements in water supply, refuse collection, housing and road maintenance, which are among the most common complaints in municipalities across the country.

There are also questions about how a potential partnership would be perceived by supporters. Coalition talks can reward parties that show pragmatism, but they can also alienate voters who expected a firmer stance on core issues. Political analysts often point out that coalitions can deliver stability when they are built on clear written agreements and a shared programme, but they can collapse quickly when those foundations are missing.

For residents, the immediate concern is whether councils will be able to function and whether elected representatives will focus on running municipalities rather than on internal power struggles. The first meeting is a procedural step, but it signals that negotiations are under way across several areas. Further announcements on which municipalities are being discussed, and what terms are on the table, will be important for understanding how the new local government landscape will take shape.

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