Coalition negotiations could determine who leads several Western Cape municipalities after the local government elections.
Municipalities have 14 days to convene newly elected councils and elect office-bearers, while parties negotiate coalitions in hung councils across South Africa and the Western Cape.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has reported that there are 138 hung municipalities nationally - 16 are in the Western Cape.
Parties begin coalition negotiations
Several parties were locked up in meetings on Monday, November 9, 2026, to finalise their frameworks for the coalition negotiations while named their negotiation teams and began with discussions.
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Dickson Masemola said the law dictates that within 14 days, councils must be constituted legally as governing bodies in the 257 municipalities.
“Cogta, working with provinces, will have to work flat out to make sure that all those councils are formally constituted where they will elect mayors, speakers, (and) they will elect executive committees where executive mayors will be elected depending on the type of municipality,” Masemola said.
District municipalities are expected to convene 14 days after the local councils have been constituted.
Western Cape Local Government MEC Anton Bredell said the election of office-bearers must be conducted in accordance with the prescribed procedures.
Bredell also said his departmental officials will be available to assist municipal managers, councillors and councils with procedural guidance, governance requirements and any legislative questions that may arise during the establishment of the new councils.
Western Cape coalition arithmetic
“I want to emphasise that this support is entirely non-political. The department does not favour any political party or seek to influence the political composition or decisions of municipal councils.
“Our responsibility is to ensure that the transition takes place smoothly, lawfully and in accordance with the legislation governing local government in South Africa. We will provide the same support and oversight to every municipality, irrespective of which party or political arrangement leads it,” he said.
Masemola noted that there were a number of hung municipalities, a challenge that necessitated coalition negotiations to form stable local governments.
“Within this period (14 days after declaration of results), those political discussions ought to take place among various political parties to agree on how they are going to work together and constitute those municipal councils,” he said.
Possible coalition scenarios
A closer look at the Western Cape hung municipalities suggests that the Freedom Front Plus will be kingmaker in the several municipalities.
The Freedom Front Plus’ Wouter Wessels has indicated that as kingmakers, they needed to form stable coalitions.
“We will utilise that opportunity to serve the community,” Wessels said at the weekend in an interview at the IEC results operations centre.
He had indicated that they should have a shared manifesto and programme of governance to improve service delivery with potential coalition partners.
The DA, which has a majority in many of the councils, may have to consider the Freedom Front Plus, the ANC and some small parties in some of the 16 hung municipalities in the province.
In the Matzikama Municipality, the DA partnering with the ANC and Freedom Front Plus is a possibility unless the Freedom Front enters into a coalition with the ANC, PA and the EFF and may be the shoo-in for coalitions.
The Cederberg First Resident Association is set to be kingmaker in the Cederberg Municipality depending who it will choose between the ANC and the DA.
The Theewaterskloof Municipality provides a possible coalition between the ANC, DA, and Freedom Front.
However, the ANC may choose to go with PA and other small parties that are perceived to be hostile towards the DA.
In Prince Albert Municipality, where the Patriotic Alliance and the ANC stand a chance to form a coalition or the two and the DA have the option to form a coalition where they can share positions.
In Cape Agulhas, the coalition between the DA, Freedom Front Plus, Dienslewering Party and the ANC is a possibility but it remains to be seen if PA will club with the three parties to edge the DA out.
The Independent Civic Organisation of South Africa, which has three seats in Kannaland Municipality, has the option to enter into coalition involving the DA or the Patriotic Alliance.
In Laingsburg, the ActionSA has the option to form a coalition with either the DA or the ANC and other parties such as Patriotic Alliance and People Movement for Change.
While the DA has seats ranging between none and 15 in Saldanha Bay, Knysna, Langeberg and Oudtshoorn, it faces a mammoth task where there are many small parties that can take their vote in a coalition led by the ANC or the PA.