Political parties negotiating municipal coalitions after South Africa's 2026 local government elections are facing calls to make their agreements, governing commitments and potential business interests public, as concerns grow over political instability and its impact on service delivery.
With no single party securing an outright majority in numerous municipalities, negotiations have opened the door to complex political arrangements. The election results have reshaped the political landscape, with the ANC suffering a major setback, the DA making gains and the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party consolidating its position as a significant political force.
Major metropolitan centres, including Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, eThekwini and Nelson Mandela Bay, have emerged as key coalition battlegrounds. In the Eastern Cape, Buffalo City recorded a narrow ANC lead, while Mangaung saw a closely contested race between the ANC and DA. Cape Town remained a contrast, with the DA on course to retain an outright majority.
The negotiations are unfolding against the backdrop of the proposed Local Government: Municipal Structures Amendment Bill of 2026, commonly known as the Municipal Coalitions Bill, which seeks to introduce greater transparency and stability into coalition governance.
One of its key proposals is to make written coalition agreements compulsory and require them to be submitted to municipal managers and provincial MECs responsible for local government before being published in the Provincial Gazette. The Bill is still before Parliament and has yet to undergo substantive deliberations.
Political analyst Sandile Swana said coalition agreements, the motivations behind the partnerships and the five-year programmes of deliverables should be made public.
“Coalition agreements in all municipalities and the motivations for why those coalition agreements are as they are, together with the five-year programme of deliverables, those things must be made public,” Swana said.
He said transparency should also extend to external stakeholders involved in coalition negotiations, particularly those who could benefit from service-provider arrangements.
“Any external stakeholders that gave input into the formation of that coalition must also be disclosed, including those that are automatically identified as potential partners and service providers into the new coalition that is being negotiated,” he said.
Swana warned that these arrangements could include public service partnerships, public-private partnerships and outsourcing agreements.
“Some will be given PSPs, others public-private partnerships, others will be given outsourcing agreements in the name of the voting public. So all of those details must be disclosed,” he said.
Coalition stability and service delivery under scrutiny
Government Deputy Spokesperson William Baloyi said government was preparing coalition guidelines through the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) to promote stability and prevent political disagreements from undermining service delivery.
“The most important part is service delivery to the people, and all parties must remember that their contract with the voters is to improve their services,” Baloyi said.
He urged residents to remain involved beyond election day by attending public meetings, raising concerns and seeking feedback on issues affecting their communities.
“When they call meetings, go to those meetings and hear how far the issues that were put there have progressed,” he said.
Political parties have already begun outlining the conditions under which they are prepared to enter governing arrangements.
The ANC, which suffered a significant blow in the elections, has acknowledged that its performance has fallen short, while recognising the need for stable coalition governments that put residents and service delivery first.
The party said coalition instability had too often come at the expense of residents, with some councils seeing mayoral positions change three or four times in a single term, budgets delayed and senior officials unable to plan effectively.
“A council consumed by its own politics cannot fix a pump,” the ANC said, urging parties entering coalition arrangements to ensure service delivery was insulated from political disagreements.
“Stability in a municipality is not a favour that parties do one another. It is a duty we owe to the household at the end of the line,” the party said.
The concerns come as political parties continue to debate the impact of coalition instability on municipal governance and service delivery.
Political parties outline coalition conditions
The MK Party's spokesperson Sifiso Mahlangu said the party would only work with parties that shared its political and ideological principles.
“We will only go in with parties that believe what we believe. For us, it’s not simply to just go into municipalities, but it’s to go in and do what we had promised our people,” Mahlangu said.
The Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) said service delivery and tackling corruption would guide its negotiations.
Representative Peter de Necker warned that the party could not justify working with partners unwilling to confront corruption.
“If a party is not prepared to renounce corrupt activities, to deal with corrupt officials, then obviously we will be lying to our voters,” he said.
ActionSA has also positioned itself as a potential player in coalition formations in Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni.
Its representative Matthew George said the party would expect commitments on illegal immigration, equitable service delivery and fighting corruption.
The DA's Helen Zille welcomed the party's performance in Johannesburg but said it was too early to discuss possible coalition arrangements.
The differing positions reflect the conditions parties have set for potential partners, following the coalition red lines outlined by Western Cape political parties. The DA has also begun coalition discussions in Western Cape municipalities.