Heavy Division In ANC Over Partnering With DA For Big Coalition Decision

The African National Congress is facing internal disagreement over whether to work with the Democratic Alliance in municipal coalitions, as it prepares to negotiate after heavy losses in the 2026 local government elections.

The question has gained urgency because the election results left many councils without a single-party majority. The ANC won outright control in 53 of South Africa’s 213 municipalities, while the DA won 12. In a further 93 hung councils, the two parties together have enough seats to govern, although they would need to agree on leadership positions and policy priorities.

The possibility of local agreements between the parties has reopened tensions over their national partnership in the Government of National Unity. Some ANC members have questioned whether the party should extend that arrangement to municipalities, given deep policy differences and ongoing disputes between the two organisations.

The ANC Youth League has taken a firm position against coalition agreements with the DA and other parties it describes as right-wing. Its president, Collen Malatji, said the changing coalition landscape required ideological clarity and protection of the ANC’s political interests. The league’s stance adds to pressure on party leaders as they consider possible governing arrangements.

At the same time, the arithmetic in many hung councils may make cooperation with the DA a practical option for the ANC. The parties together could command a majority in 93 councils, according to an analysis of election results. That does not mean they will form coalitions: negotiations must still settle the distribution of mayoral positions, executive responsibilities and the programmes that would guide each administration.

The ANC is also weighing other possible partners. In Gauteng’s major cities, the DA has emerged as the leading party, while the ANC has lost its previous position at the top of the results. The party must decide whether to seek agreements with the DA, negotiate with smaller parties or move into opposition in individual councils.

The party’s national leadership is expected to discuss its approach in a series of meetings, including a National Executive Committee meeting scheduled for 12 November. The ANC has not yet published a formal local coalition strategy, leaving uncertainty about whether it will pursue a consistent policy nationwide or make decisions council by council.

The debate reflects a difficult balance for the ANC: preserving its ideological identity and responding to members opposed to the DA, while finding workable majorities in councils where it lacks enough seats to govern alone. With coalition talks under way, the party’s decision could shape municipal administrations and test the durability of its national relationship with the DA.

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