LOCAL ELECTIONS 2026: DA goes on coalition offensive as battle for Nelson Mandela Bay begins

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is leading coalition talks in Nelson Mandela Bay and has approached parties, among them the Freedom Front Plus, ActionSA and the UDM, to start negotiations in a bid to form a stable government to restore governance and service delivery.

The DA became the largest party in the metro after securing 44.17% of the vote and scooping 53 of the 120 seats in the municipal council.

The party requires a partnership with at least eight additional councillors to reach the 61 seats needed for a majority government.

Freedom Front Plus mayoral candidate Bill Harington confirmed on Sunday that the party had been approached by the DA for coalition negotiations, but would not divulge any further information.

DA insiders have indicated that the UDM was meant to meet the DA on Saturday, 7 November, but that had been put on hold when news of the fatal shooting of UDM councillor Luxolo Namette surfaced. Namette was shot and killed on Saturday afternoon in Motherwell, Gqeberha.

The party insiders said the DA was also looking to rope in ActionSA, the Freedom Front Plus and possibly the ACDP to take over the Municipal Public Accounts Committee (MPAC). Namette was the MPAC committee chairperson.

While the DA’s election victory gives it an upper hand in coalition negotiations, the second-largest party, the ANC, whose voter support significantly dropped to 25.48% and which secured 32 seats, is in a position to form a mega coalition that excludes the DA and the Freedom Front Plus.

The ANC did not garner any proportional representation (PR) seats.

Another unlikely scenario is if the DA and the ANC joined forces to form a government. However, the DA has previously made this offer, but was rejected by the ANC in 2023.

The DA won 28 of Nelson Mandela Bay’s 60 wards, taking five wards previously held by the ANC – wards 15, 16, 25, 33 and 38. The DA’s 53 council seats comprise 28 ward seats and 25 proportional representation (PR) seats.

The ANC and the DA held 48 council seats each after the 2021 elections.

With eight new parties joining the Nelson Mandela Bay political battlefield after the results were officially declared by the IEC on Sunday, Bay communities will be represented by the parties that secured council seats. These include:

• EFF (7)

• PA (4)

• SACP (4)

• FF+ (3)

• UDM (3)

• Mayibuye Civic Movement (2)

• ActionSA (2)

• Umkhonto Wesizwe Party (2)

• ACDP, ATM, PAC, UPPA, AIC, Democratic Movement and the National Alliance, each of which secured one seat.

DA provincial leader Andrew Whitfield, who is part of the team conducting coalition negotiations, could not be reached for comment.

DA mayoral candidate Retief Odendaal said they were happy with the result after 18 months of campaigning, which had been a difficult task.

He said they had wanted an outright majority, but were still happy with their remarkable result. “I believe we will give the city the most stable government it has had over the past decade. A lot of our problems that we have in the administration are as a result of political instability.

“I believe we will be able to form a government with very few partners, that in itself is a good sign.”

Odendaal said they were inheriting a broken city with massive service delivery problems.

He said the fact that there were no permanently employed executive directors or a stable city manager in the office, exacerbated the situation. 

“To get service delivery moving again, we need to be able to ensure that we have professional administrators appointed [who] can head up the departments.”

Odendaal said their coalition partners had to have zero tolerance for corruption and understand the commitment to professionalising the administration, because that was the only way to get the city working again without political interference.

The coalition discussion will occur over the next couple of days, led by the DA’s federal and provincial leadership.

Odendaal reiterated his party provincial leader Andrew Whitfield’s stance that the DA would not work with the EFF or uMkhonto Wesizwe party to establish a government.

The ANC is on record saying coalition negotiations will be handled by its top seven leadership.

ANC ‘respects the message’ voters sent, will work to build a stable government

The ANC in the Nelson Mandela Bay region said in a statement on Saturday that, as no party had an outright majority, it was working to build a stable government.

“There is no party that has won an outright majority in the elections in the metro, but we will work constructively with others to build a stable and accountable government. That government should focus on what residents need most: water, electricity, refuse removal, roads, safety and housing.”

The party said it respected the message the voters had sent, took responsibility for it, and accepted it with humility. 

“Our support has dropped significantly, but the ANC still has a strong presence across the wards, and we know that this support brings responsibility. Our focus is to go back to basics in Nelson Mandela. We will listen to residents, act on their concerns, strengthen accountable leadership and improve basic services so that we earn back the trust of our people.”

The party said that in wards where residents had given it their mandate, ANC councillors were ready to serve.

Mayibuye Civic Movement president Tukela Zumani said they had not been approached by any party about coalition negotiations.

He said they had learnt that the DA wanted to work with the Freedom Front Plus, ActionSA and the UDM. DM