What Mantashe wants the ANC to do if it falls short
BOKSBURG — ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe urged his party to accept the municipal election results even where voters deny it a majority. Speaking after casting his ballot at Freeway Primary School in Boksburg on Wednesday, he said the ANC’s credibility depended on how it responded to the outcome. Where it needs partners to govern, he said, it must build coalitions that can work.
Mantashe said the ANC still wanted to win as many municipalities as possible. His comments, made while voting was under way, carried particular weight in Gauteng, where pre-election polls pointed to several closely contested metros. Even if the ANC finishes as the largest party in a council, it could still need another party’s support to elect a mayor.
What the ANC takes from national coalition talks
Mantashe said the ANC had learnt from its experience in the Government of National Unity, formed after the party lost its national majority in 2024. The ANC and the Democratic Alliance, long rivals, agreed to serve in the same national government. Mantashe acknowledged that keeping coalition partners working together had proved difficult.
One possibility raised by analysts before the vote was for the ANC and DA to pursue similar agreements in contested cities. DA Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille identified a practical obstacle in an interview with Reuters: parties do not always honour the agreements they sign. Mantashe did not identify a preferred partner in his Boksburg remarks. The council seat totals will determine where the ANC can govern alone and where it will need to negotiate.
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