Mayibuye’s small national tally hides a stronger local foothold
JOHANNESBURG — Floyd Shivambu’s Afrika Mayibuye Movement has emerged from its first municipal election with a modest national footprint but a more substantial base in parts of Limpopo. Its reported 10 seats in Collins Chabane suggest the party has established a foothold worth building on, even as the ANC’s continued majority leaves Mayibuye facing the work of opposition rather than municipal control.
The provisional national proportional representation tally illustrates the limits of the breakthrough. At the 10:01 update on 7 November, IEC data, recorded 89,097 PR votes for Mayibuye, approximately 0.6% of the 14.41 million valid PR ballots captured. Nationally, 98.6% of voting districts had reported. These are PR votes alone, rather than a combined total of ward, PR and district ballots, and the figures remain provisional.
That performance does not establish Mayibuye as a major national challenger. It does, however, show why municipal elections should not be judged exclusively through a national percentage. Concentrated support can give a small party meaningful representation in particular councils, while a much larger but widely dispersed vote may produce limited influence in any one municipality.
Collins Chabane provides the clearest example. Limpopo Mirror reported that Mayibuye secured about 14% and 10 of the council’s 71 seats, becoming the largest opposition party. The ANC retained 47 seats, while the EFF, DA and ActionSA each obtained three. Mayibuye therefore has a platform from which to scrutinise the administration, but its support is not required to give the ANC a governing majority.
The distinction between representation and bargaining power should shape expectations. Ten councillors can question expenditure, examine municipal decisions and maintain a visible presence in communities. They cannot, on their own, determine who governs a council where another party already holds a comfortable majority. Mayibuye’s credibility there will depend on how effectively it uses opposition responsibilities.
Earlier reporting also placed the party second in Greater Giyani, with approximately 18%, while the ANC stood at 59%. That was an incomplete count and should not be presented as a final result, but it reinforces the emerging pattern of stronger support in selected Limpopo municipalities. It does not prove where individual Mayibuye voters previously placed their support.
Shivambu’s political history makes comparisons with the EFF and MK Party inevitable. He helped establish the EFF, left it in 2024 and briefly joined MK before launching Mayibuye. Yet experience in established organisations does not automatically transfer their structures, resources or voters to a new party. The election offers an initial measure of the organisation he has built, rather than simply a referendum on his personal profile.
Outside Limpopo, the party is looking towards possible coalition influence. KwaZulu-Natal deputy chairperson Vusi Khoza told IOL that Mayibuye expected proportional representation seats in eThekwini, Msunduzi, uThukela and uMkhanyakude. He said coalition discussions would follow final results. Those expectations should not be treated as confirmed seats or proof that the party will hold the balance of power.
The balanced assessment is that Mayibuye has secured an opening, while its national ambitions remain largely unfulfilled. Dismissing its local support would overlook a meaningful electoral base; presenting that base as a national surge would overstate the evidence. Its next test is whether councillors can build a record of useful oversight, consistent community work and accountable decisions that gives voters a reason to return.
Readers can follow the latest available results through TownPress’s live dashboard across the website, or visit our Election Results and Results Breakdown pages. Results remain provisional until officially declared by the IEC.
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