ActionSA says election gains put it in line for coalition talks
ActionSA says its stronger-than-expected local election result puts it in a position to bargain in hung metros, and it is open to talks with any party.
ActionSA has more than doubled its national share of the vote since the 2021 municipal elections, and the party says this could give it an important role in deciding who runs several big cities. According to IOL, the party is now waiting to see whether other parties will approach it for coalition talks.
The party’s gain was about 3.25 percentage points, which IOL described as growth of nearly 140%. That was more than the final Ipsos pre-election poll suggested. The poll put ActionSA’s national support at roughly 4%.
Party questions the polls
ActionSA’s KwaZulu-Natal leader, Zwakele Mncwango, told IOL that the polls had not captured the party’s performance. He said Ipsos had predicted an increase of no more than 1.5 percentage points, yet the party grew by more than three. He also criticised some media houses, claiming they relied on the DA’s own polling to forecast results. These are his views, and the source does not include a response from the pollsters or the DA.
Johannesburg and other metros
The result puts ActionSA in a potentially influential position in negotiations over Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and possibly eThekwini. In Johannesburg, the DA’s Helen Zille and ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba were prominent mayoral contenders. Provisional results show the DA on 35.98% of the vote and ActionSA on 16.2%. The DA has a substantial lead, but it falls short of the majority it would need to govern the city alone.
Zille has said the DA would be open to working with ActionSA. Mashaba had earlier ruled out a coalition with the DA, but IOL reported that his position now appears to have softened. Mncwango said: “We are open to talks with any party”, adding that terms would be discussed once the parties sit down together, the DA included. He said there had been no formal approach so far.
Mncwango did not win his bid to become eThekwini’s mayor, but said he was not disappointed. He argued that the party had more than doubled its support and had not declined, which he said showed steady growth.
What this means for residents
Coalition talks are starting in several hung municipalities, where no single party has won an outright majority. The agreements reached will decide which parties run these metros and who becomes mayor. They will also shape how municipal services such as water, electricity and refuse removal are managed.
No deal has been announced yet. IOL said the coming days will show whether ActionSA’s increased support turns into a meaningful role in running some of the country’s largest cities. Residents of the affected metros should watch for official announcements from the parties and the municipalities on how negotiations progress.
This story is based on reporting by IOL.
