Floyd Shivambu Exposes Cyril Ramaphosa Over Alleged Plan To Localise ANC-DA Coalition

Floyd Shivambu has warned that President Cyril Ramaphosa could use an extended special meeting of the African National Congress National Executive Committee to announce a localised version of the ANC’s national partnership with the Democratic Alliance.

Shivambu, president of the Afrika Mayibuye Movement and a former member of the ANC’s alliance partners and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, argued that such a move would deepen the ANC’s political crisis and could mark the end of the party as a mass political force. His remarks were made in response to the ANC’s announcement of the NEC meeting.

The meeting comes as the party considers its position after the 4 November local government elections and amid coalition negotiations in municipalities where no party won an outright majority. The ANC’s election performance has heightened scrutiny of its national government partnership with the DA, formed after the 2024 general election.

The party recorded about 31% of the national vote in the local elections, according to the figures cited in the political debate. It also lost ground in key urban areas, including Johannesburg, where coalition talks are expected to shape the next municipal administration.

Shivambu’s warning reflects broader tensions inside the ANC over whether cooperation with the DA should extend from national government into local coalitions. The national Government of National Unity has brought the parties together in a shared executive, but they remain competitors in municipalities and differ on policy and political priorities.

Ramaphosa has reportedly urged the ANC to avoid DA partnerships in Gauteng coalition negotiations, including in Johannesburg. That position underscores the pressure on ANC leaders to balance practical coalition choices against concerns that cooperation with the DA could alienate voters and blur the party’s political identity.

The ANC has not confirmed that the extended NEC meeting will announce a formal national policy requiring local ANC branches to enter coalitions with the DA. Shivambu’s prediction is a political claim, not an announced decision by the party.

The meeting is expected to address the election outcome and the challenges of governing through coalitions. The ANC has been campaigning ahead of the vote on issues including service delivery and renewal, while opposition parties have sought to turn dissatisfaction with municipal performance into electoral gains.

Coalition talks are now central to determining who governs several councils. In Johannesburg, the outcome will depend on negotiations among parties and the balance of seats in the new council.

Shivambu’s comments add to the debate over the ANC’s direction after the election. Whether the NEC endorses local cooperation with the DA, rejects it, or leaves decisions to provincial and municipal structures remains to be seen.

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