Ramaphosa cautions parties against post-election coalition chaos

President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned political parties against turning coalition negotiations into battles for positions and power, saying residents’ interests must come before political ambitions as parties prepare to negotiate governing arrangements in 137 councils following the 2026 local government elections.

Addressing the announcement of the election results at the IEC’s Results Operations Centre in Midrand on Sunday, Ramaphosa said political differences should not derail municipal governance or hold service delivery hostage.

“Negotiations over the formation of municipal governments must not become contests over positions, privileges or the distribution of power. They must be guided by what will best serve the people,” he said.

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His warning comes as South Africa enters another round of coalition negotiations, nearly a decade after the 2016 elections ushered in coalition governments in major metros, including Johannesburg, Tshwane and Nelson Mandela Bay.

Those arrangements were frequently characterised by infighting, shifting alliances, collapsing agreements and motions of no confidence against sitting mayors. Disputes over leadership positions, committee appointments, budgets and governing arrangements repeatedly destabilised municipal administrations.

The problems persisted after the 2021 elections, which produced 66 hung councils and entrenched coalition politics across the country. In several municipalities, political deadlock and leadership changes disrupted council business and raised concerns about the impact of instability on service delivery.

Ramaphosa said voters had not elected councillors to spend their terms fighting over political power.

“The people did not cast their votes so that their representatives could spend the next five years fighting among themselves. They voted because they expect their lives to improve,” he said.

He urged parties to negotiate in good faith and ensure councils were constituted without unnecessary delays.

“Councils must be constituted without delay. Parties must negotiate in good faith to elect office-bearers so that councils can get to work. Budgets must be passed on time,” he said.

He cautioned that residents’ needs should not be pushed aside by political score-settling and internal party disputes.

“Our people’s interest must not be drowned by the quest of political parties or representatives to settle political scores or petty squabbles,” he said.

The president said newly elected councillors had a responsibility to address the challenges facing communities, including unemployment, the rising cost of living, unreliable municipal services and public safety.

Residents wanted reliable water and electricity, maintained roads and public spaces, regular refuse collection and safer neighbourhoods, he said.

“They judge government by what changes in their daily lives,” Ramaphosa said.

The elections were contested by more than 540 political parties and nearly 137,000 candidates, which the president said reflected the strength of South Africa’s multi-party democracy.

He said the results reaffirmed that the authority to govern came from voters and did not belong permanently to any political party.

“It is not inherited. It is not owned by any political party. It is not the permanent possession of those who hold public office,” he said.

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Ramaphosa also pointed to the revised White Paper on Local Government, which proposes changes to strengthen municipalities, improve their finances and prioritise infrastructure maintenance and reliable service delivery.

He called on elected representatives to demonstrate that they were worthy of the trust placed in them by voters.

“The ballots have been counted. The choices have been made. The responsibility now passes to those who have been elected…The people have spoken. Their verdict must be respected. Their concerns must be heard. And their expectations must now be met.”

The ANC emerged as the largest party in the local elections with 30.76% of the vote, the Democratic Alliance garnered 24.64% of the vote, Jacob Zuma’s MK Party received 9.76% of the vote, while the Economic Freedom Fighters stand at 6.22%.