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ANC centralises coalition talks under national negotiating team

Published

The ANC told members in a circular that coalition talks must go through the secretary-general, after the party lost control of 110 municipalities. Provincial and regional structures may hold only exploratory talks and make recommendations.

Secretary-general Fikile Mbalula wrote in the circular that final coalition arrangements will be confirmed only after he gives formal written authorisation. He said coalitions formed council by council in the 2021 to 2026 term, without a shared programme, often proved unstable. He said a coordinated approach will help the party build arrangements that last a full term.

The ANC lost control of councils including Mangaung and Buffalo City. It won 30.8% of the final national vote in the 2026 local elections, down from 46% in 2021. Party president Cyril Ramaphosa leads the national officials who will finalise a coalition doctrine.

The party's national executive committee is expected to meet on Thursday to finalise that doctrine. Mbalula said the ANC will not rush into coalitions and that sitting in opposition is an option. A KwaZulu-Natal directive dated 6 November bars regions from making commitments without a provincial mandate.

Key facts

Who
Fikile Mbalula (ANC secretary-general, author of the internal circular); Cyril Ramaphosa (ANC President, leads national officials finalising the coalition doctrine); African National Congress (governing party that lost control in 110 municipalities); Democratic Alliance (party that secured a majority in the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality)
What
The African National Congress said it must centralise its coalition approach to avoid unstable council-by-council coalitions, as set out in a circular from secretary-general Fikile Mbalula. The party lost control in 110 municipalities, including Mangaung and Buffalo City, and its national officials led by Cyril Ramaphosa will finalise a coalition doctrine.
When
9 November 2026
Where
Mangaung, Buffalo City, City of Cape Town
Status
Reported

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