ANC Weighs Opposition Role After Worst Electoral Performance

The African National Congress is convening its national working committee and national executive committee to determine a strategy for coalition negotiations following its worst electoral performance to date. The party garnered 30.7% of the national vote, resulting in hung councils across most major metros, including Johannesburg, Tshwane, and eThekwini.

While the ANC has entered preliminary talks with ActionSA, party leadership indicated it is prepared to sit in opposition rather than compromise political principles. In KwaZulu-Natal, where the MK party emerged as the leading force, the ANC provincial leadership has centralized negotiation control to prevent unauthorized commitments from regional structures.

Conversely, the Democratic Alliance secured an outright majority in Cape Town with 56.42% of the vote and is currently coordinating national discussions for clean government. Meanwhile, the South African Communist Party is inviting left-wing parties to partner across 138 hung municipalities. President Cyril Ramaphosa characterized the election results as a sign of a strong democracy, noting that having the election declared free and fair is an incredible achievement.