10 hung councils in Limpopo: Did Premier Phophi Ramathuba fail?

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ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula flanked by ANC Limpopo provincial chair Phophi Ramathuba (left) and ANC provincial secretary Vhamusanda Reuben Madadzhe. Picture: Supplied

Last week’s local government elections will go down as a litmus test for Limpopo Premier Phophi Ramathuba.

But whether she passed or failed that test has sharply divided the province.

For supporters, Ramathuba kept the ANC as the leading party in all 22 local municipalities in Limpopo and above 50% provincially. For critics, losing outright majorities in 10 councils, including the capital, Polokwane, is a failure.

Political analyst Solly Rashilo said labelling the election results as Ramathuba’s failure is “preposterous” as it erases collective responsibility, but her leadership is now on trial.

“Ramathuba did not fail, but she did not pass exuberantly either. She saved the province above 50%, but lost the capital. Her real test is now: can she keep the 10 hung councils stable for the next 12 months?

“If yes, she passes. If they collapse into motions and court cases, this election will be remembered as the start of the ANC losing Limpopo,” Rashilo said.

He said the ANC drop gives opposition real power for the first time, which could improve service delivery through accountability, but could also hurt if coalitions become about jobs, not water and roads.

The ANC holds majorities in 12 of 22 local municipalities, with 10 hung councils: Polokwane, Lepelle-Nkumpi, Elias Motsoaledi, Maruleng, Ba-Phalaborwa, Mogalakwena, Lephalale, Thabazimbi, Bela-Bela and Modimolle-Mookgophong – up from just two hung councils in 2021.

On the 10 hung councils, Rashilo said voters did not reject the ANC as a liberation movement, but rejected local performance and internal divisions.

“The SACP, ActionSA, and former ANC figures split the ANC vote,” he noted.

On Polokwane, the jewel that fell, he provided stark figures: “ANC fell from 56 seats, 60.08%, in 2021, to 37 seats, 41.24%, in 2026, nine seats short of a majority.”

“Mayor John Mpe’s absence due to ill health left a leadership vacuum, but it amplified an existing problem: indecisiveness, water issues and no clear mayoral candidate,” he pointed out.

The ANC’s provincial spokesperson Tony Ernest Rachoene also rejected the narrative that Ramathuba had failed.

“The ANC works as a collective, and its electoral performance is the responsibility of the entire leadership,” Rachoene said.

“The provincial chairperson, Dr Phophi Ramathuba, together with the provincial executive committee and the broader leadership collective, played their respective roles in leading the organisation into the elections.”

Rachoene, a former ANC youth league Limpopo provincial chair and current public works, roads and infrastructure MEC, admitted the party is not pleased with its performance.

“We would not characterise our performance as one that we are pleased with, particularly when measured against our previous electoral performance. While the ANC remains the leading party in Limpopo, we acknowledge that there has been a regression, and this is something we are confronting honestly.”

Rachoene said the ANC appreciates voters who still trusted the party, but hears the message from those who voted elsewhere.

“We recognise that the election results reflect the views and expectations of our people, including those who chose to vote for other political parties. We respect that choice and understand that it carries an important message for the ANC.

“Where communities have expressed dissatisfaction, particularly with the provision of basic services, we have to listen, acknowledge our shortcomings and take corrective action.”

He said the results demand serious introspection, not business as usual.

“Our responsibility now is to translate the message from voters into practical improvements. We must move with speed to address the issues that are important to communities, particularly access to water, sanitation, roads and other basic municipal services.”

On coalitions, with a 14-day negotiation window underway, Rachoene said Limpopo will be guided by Luthuli House. He ruled out position-sharing deals.

“We are prepared to engage with political parties that share our commitment to serving communities and improving local governance.

“The ANC will not participate in political deals that have nothing to do with the interests of communities. If the only basis for an agreement is the sharing of positions without a common commitment to serving communities, we would rather occupy the opposition benches.”

Some within the ANC have attributed the regression in the Peter Mokaba Region, particularly Polokwane becoming hung, to the absence of Deputy Provincial Chairperson and Polokwane Mayor Makoro John Mpe during the campaign due to ill health. Rachoene did not dismiss Mpe’s contribution but insisted the party cannot hide behind that.

“We must also recognise the contribution of all leaders and especially our volunteers who participated in the campaign under challenging circumstances. However, acknowledging their efforts does not mean that the organisation should avoid examining where it fell short.”

For Polokwane coalitions, Rashilo said the SACP is the ANC’s first option ideologically, allowing it to add one small party to reach a majority. An ANC-EFF deal is mathematically possible, but politically toxic. A DA deal is not realistic in Limpopo.

EFF Limpopo Provincial Chairperson Lawrence Mapoulo said the hung councils present an opportunity to fix governance, but only if coalitions are about service, not posts.

The EFF has set several non-negotiables for coalition talks:

“We believe that coalition agreements must be reduced to clear, written commitments with measurable deliverables and accountability mechanisms. We cannot support arrangements that simply reproduce the same governance failures,” Mapoulo said.

He said the EFF will not impose a blanket coalition across all 10 hung councils, as dynamics differ per municipality. Final direction will come from national leadership under secretary-general Marshall Dlamini, who has said service delivery must be central.

“The EFF is prepared to engage parties where there is common ground on a programme that advances the interests of ordinary people.

“Our approach will not be based merely on the political identity of a potential coalition partner, but on whether that party is prepared to commit to the principles and programme that the EFF will put forward.”

The DA in Limpopo says it has recorded its best-ever electoral performance across municipal, provincial and national elections.

Provincial leader Jacques Smalle thanked voters for a nearly doubling its support.

“The DA’s combined ward and proportional representation votes increased by almost 91%, from 122 583 in 2021 to 234 012 in 2026,” Smalle said.

The party grew from 65 to 95 local councillors – 23 ward and 72 PR – plus nine directly elected district councillors, up from six.

Combined local and directly elected district representation rose 46.5%, from 71 to 104 seats, with more expected from indirect district allocations.

“The political landscape in Limpopo has changed dramatically, with 10 hung local municipal councils, compared with just two in 2021, and indications that Capricorn and Waterberg district municipalities may also be without outright majorities,” Smalle said.

“The message from our communities is clear: residents want responsible municipal governance, reliable service delivery, and municipalities that attract investment, stimulate economic growth and facilitate job creation.”

“As coalition talks enter a critical week, Ramathuba’s first election as chair has therefore become less about the votes counted on 4 November and more about the governments formed in the 14 days after,” added Rashilo.

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