ANC’s Gauteng sweep nearly complete
The African National Congress (ANC) in Gauteng has steadily reclaimed mayoral seats across various municipalities in the province – and they’re not done yet.
In the 2021 local government elections, the ANC received an outright majority in just one of the province’s municipalities (Lesedi Local Municipality—50.4%).
With the ANC and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) willing to enter coalitions together locally but initially unwilling to serve under a mayor from one another, the parties first sat on opposition benches together.
Then, after ousting various Democratic Alliance (DA) mayors, they served in the executive alongside each other across various municipalities under mayors from parties with smaller representation.
This led to the tenures of two Al Jama-Ah mayors in Johannesburg, the African Independent Congress in Ekurhuleni and the West Rand District Municipality, Cope in Tshwane and the current African Transformation Movement in Mogale City.
However, public pressure against a decline in service delivery across the province (most notably in metros) and the subsequent backlash against the ANC (which President Cyril Ramaphosa said significantly contributed to their 2024 electoral decline) led to the party becoming adamant about clinching back the mayoral chains.
While administrations across the province have been seemingly playing musical chairs since 2021, the ANC has (only recently) managed to reclaim the mayoral seats in the majority of Gauteng’s municipalities through the support of various parties.
Notably, the party recently reclaimed the mayorship of two of the province’s three metropolitans —Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni.
Now, the ANC is looking to make it three for three in the metros by reclaiming Tshwane from a coalition currently comprising the DA, ActionSA, Vryheidsfront Plus (VF+), Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP).
“In 2021, during local government elections, the ANC lost all three metros, and we politely took our stand in the opposition benches – it was only when those governments that were established collapsed that the ANC was requested to step in,” said ANC Gauteng chairperson and provincial Premier, Panyaza Lesufi.
“From that period till today, two of the metros that we lost are now back where the ANC is at the helm of those two municipalities.
“There is a huge chance that can happen in Tshwane in the next few weeks,” he added.
The current coalition in Tshwane has been consistent for the past year and a half; however, the partnership showed cracks last week when ActionSA said it was reviewing the process to end its marriage with the DA.
This is the change that the ANC was referring to, which is seen to be materialising.
The ANC filed a short-lived motion of no confidence against Tshwane mayor, the DA’s Cilliers Brink, which was meant to be heard on 30 August.
To get the motion to pass, the ANC, which sports 75/214 seats in the Tshwane council, will need to court not only the support of those within the opposition – but also those within the current local government.
ANC provincial secretary TK Nciza said that their position stems from “poor service delivery, particularly in townships”.
“We believe there will be changes in Tshwane, and we are engaging with ActionSA and other parties about (the metro).”
The motion meant for 30 August was avoided as the DA filed an urgent application in the Gauteng High Court challenging its lawfulness, claiming neither Brink nor the councillors were given fair notice of the motion.
The ANC temporarily withdrew the motion but promised that it would be back.
Just after opposition parties heard of the legal challenge on Friday, the ANC led an impromptu briefing with ActionSA’s regional chairperson, Jackie Mathabathe, the EFF’s Obakeng Ramabodu, and ACDP’s Ronald Morake.
Mathabathe said that “whatever happens after this, our party has made a decision. Our structures have made a decision. They told us to get out of the marriage with the DA.”
However, ActionSA’s national leadership distanced itself from Mathabathe’s utterances saying that they are still reviewing their position as to whether they would stay in their coalition with the DA, VF Plus, IFP and ACDP.
The ACDP also released a press statement distancing itself from statements its representatives made about the apparent agreement to oust Brink, saying that the party remains committed to the coalition.
The Tshwane coalition then held a press briefing without ActionSA, which allegedly declined the invite as its position within the alliance was under review.
It remains unknown whether the working relationship between the DA and ActionSA will remain.
GNU – but Gauteng doesn’t count
While the ANC and DA are both working together in the “Government of National Unity” (co-governing agreement in national government) as well as in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng has proven to be another story.
Negotiations between the Gauteng ANC and DA to form a provincial government together collapsed, which ultimately led to the DA being excluded from the executive.
While negotiations were ongoing, DA Federal chairperson Hellen Zille told the Mail & Guardian that the DA would consider running all Gauteng municipalities with the ANC if they agreed on a government of provincial unity—which never happened.
Now, the ANC and DA, two parties that are working together nationally and in KwaZulu-Natal, remain fierce opponents in Gauteng’s economic powerhouse, across the nine municipalities and the provincial legislature.
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