Desperate Times As Fikile Mbalula Confirms Urgent ANC NEC Meeting To Decide Who To Partner With

At a special National Executive Committee meeting, the African National Congress approved guidelines for its coalition negotiating team and heard information on preliminary talks with other political groups.

Fikile Mbalula, secretary-general of the African National Congress (ANC), announced the news on Thursday on X, adding that the NEC had deliberated the party’s delegation’s mandate in preparation for coalition discussions after the 2026 municipal elections.

The gathering follows a nationwide decline in ANC support to about 30%, which left the party without a clear majority in most towns. Where the party received the most votes but cannot form a majority government, it is trying to maintain its power in the councils.

The NEC will get updates on early discussions with other parties and establish negotiation principles, according to ANC spokeswoman Mahlengi Bhengu. In order to allow for local factors to influence potential arrangements, the party has said that it would not use a single formula for every town.

The purpose of the guide is to provide ground rules for the negotiating team and to assist in making sure that the local talks mirror the agreed-upon stance of the parties. Coalition discussions, according to the ANC, should target service delivery, stability in local government, the party’s regeneration, and not only obtaining municipal jobs.

Discussions with various ANC bodies and alliance partners precede the NEC’s discussions. In the midst of negotiating agreements that may sustain functional local governments, the party is under pressure to react to a poor election outcome. Parties in many councils need to come to a consensus fast so that freshly elected councils may meet and choose speakers, mayors, and other officials.

Although it has not revealed the specifics of the talks or named all the formations engaged, the ANC has revealed that it has been contacted by other parties. How the party reacts to such proposals and what principles should govern any collaboration are both anticipated to be decided upon during the NEC conference.

Coalition talks are now inevitable in many municipalities as a result of the national vote. The African National Congress (ANC) is still a powerful political force, but with dwindling popularity it must choose between forming alliances, lending its support to another party’s government, or running as an opposition party.

There is no coalition agreement in the negotiation roadmap. Discussions between the ANC and other parties, the number of local council members, and the parameters they are willing to accept will determine the likelihood of any alliance. As discussions progress, the party’s negotiators will now follow the NEC’s lead.

In the next days, parties will attempt to create governments in municipalities that are now in a state of uncertainty. The African National Congress (ANC) faces a balancing act between satisfying voters’ desires for efficient service delivery and stable government and turning its national mandate into practical local agreements.

https://x.com/MbalulaFikile/status/2120845291868053988

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