The African National Congress (ANC) says it is prepared to engage political parties, civic movements and independent candidates as it seeks to establish coalition governments following its losses in the 2026 Local Government Elections. The party’s Special Extended National Executive Committee (NEC), which met from Thursday to Friday, has mandated its leadership to begin coalition negotiations in municipalities where no political party secured an outright majority. In a statement released on Friday, ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu said engagements with…

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has defended the use of a coin toss to break electoral deadlocks, while acknowledging that the practice remains controversial. The commission has also committed to considering suggestions from South Africans as part of its ongoing review of electoral systems and procedures. Speaking at a media briefing at the IEC’s Centurion headquarters on Friday, following last week’s local government elections, the commission said it reviews lessons after every election but stressed that the coin…

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has strengthened its political position in KwaZulu-Natal after securing a commanding 61% of the vote in uMngeni Local Municipality, paving the way for Chris Pappas to return as mayor for a second term. The result marks a significant shift from the 2021 local government elections, when the DA narrowly captured the municipality by just 42 votes. Five years later, the party has transformed that narrow victory into an outright majority, making uMngeni the only municipality in…