Parliament has begun processing a bill that would require written, binding and publicly available coalition agreements in hung municipalities.
South Africaâ€s proposed municipal coalitions law would require parties governing together to sign written, binding agreements and make those deals public, according to the latest briefing before Parliament.
The Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs received its first substantive briefing on the Local Government: Municipal Structures Amendment Bill last week. The measure is commonly called the Municipal Coalitions Bill and is intended to create common rules for councils where no party holds an outright majority.
Under the proposals outlined by Parliament, a coalition agreement would have to be submitted to the municipal manager and the provincial MEC responsible for local government. It would also have to be published in the Provincial Gazette, moving arrangements that are often negotiated privately into the public record.
The bill proposes extending the period for establishing municipal governance structures after an election from 14 days to 30 days. That would give parties more time to negotiate an administration, but it would also place those negotiations inside a prescribed legal framework.
Governmentâ€s published explanation of the legislation says the aim is to reduce instability in hung councils and protect service delivery. South Africa had 81 hung councils after the 2021 municipal elections, according to the memorandum accompanying an earlier draft of the bill. Frequent motions of no confidence and changing alliances have since disrupted several metros and local councils.
The latest committee process does not mean the proposals are law. Parliamentâ€s legal advisers must still determine whether the bill should be processed as a Section 75 measure or as a Section 76 bill affecting provinces. That classification will shape the route through the National Assembly, National Council of Provinces and provincial legislatures.
The committee said the legislation will not be finalised before the local government elections scheduled for 4 November 2026. It still has to set a processing timetable and a public-participation programme before beginning detailed deliberations.
That distinction matters for voters and parties. Coalition talks immediately after the November poll will still take place under the existing legal framework unless another binding arrangement is adopted before then. The new bill is intended to govern future coalition formation once Parliament has completed its work and the President has signed it.
The committee has not endorsed every proposal. Chairperson Zweli Mkhize said members would first consider a framework covering timeframes and public participation. Public submissions and provincial input could therefore change the text before a final vote.
For residents, the central test will be whether legally recorded agreements translate into stable budgets and reliable services. Publication of agreements would make it easier to see which parties accepted responsibility for an administration, but it would not by itself prevent political disagreements or council collapses.
Follow the story
