President Cyril Ramaphosa appealed to political parties on Sunday. He urged them to prioritize service delivery and community interests over political positions. They are currently starting negotiations to form municipal governments following the 2026 local elections.
Pushing for Municipal Stability and Service Delivery
Speaking at the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) Results Operations Centre in Midrand, the president delivered a strong warning. He stated that friction and the scramble for positions must not undermine municipal stability. Furthermore, these political battles must not delay essential services.
The president framed the municipal elections as a reaffirmation of the country’s democratic institutions. He stressed the constitutional principle that authority belongs entirely to the citizens. Therefore, it does not belong to a single party or officeholder.
The 2026 Local Government Election Results
According to the official IEC figures, the African National Congress (ANC) remained the largest party. They secured 30.76% of the vote and 3,282 council seats. Meanwhile, the Democratic Alliance (DA) claimed the second-largest share with 24.64% and 1,722 seats.
Overall, 14.9 million voters turned out. This represents a 52% participation rate, which is 6.1 percentage points higher than the 2021 local elections. Officials have declared all 213 municipal councils, with 10,526 seats contested.
The ANC won outright majorities in 53 municipalities. However, they now lead in 128 hung councils where coalition talks are inevitable. In Johannesburg, the DA emerged as the largest party with 91 of the 270 seats. The ANC followed with 63 seats, and ActionSA secured 43. Ultimately, no party reached the 136-seat threshold for an outright majority.
Ramaphosa Resignation Rumours Addressed
At the same time, President Ramaphosa strongly denied rumours suggesting he planned to resign over the ANC’s poor election showing. He spoke on the sidelines of the final IEC results announcement on Sunday. He firmly questioned the claims concerning his future decisions.
“I do not know where these rumours are coming from. I mean, whoever came up with a rumour like that is preposterous,” Ramaphosa said.
Thabo Mbeki Weighs In on the ANC Leadership
Despite the president denying these unproven claims, former President Thabo Mbeki expressed his own views. Mbeki stated his wish that Ramaphosa and the five other leaders on the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) step down due to the poor poll performance.
An interview with Mbeki recently resurfaced amid these Ramaphosa resignation rumours. Speaking with Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) member Mbuyiseni Ndlozi on the African Renaissance Podcast on November 9, Mbeki argued a strong point. He stated that leaders at the helm of the ANC should resign when major political losses happen under their watch.
Consequently, South Africans fiercely debated Mbeki’s pointed remarks online. However, both the President and ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula have firmly denied all resignation reports.
“The President is not going anywhere,” Mbalula insisted.
Ultimately, Ramaphosa must manage his terms as both State and ANC President until the 2027 ANC National Conference in Nasrec, Johannesburg. Both he and the party must get their act together by then to decide their future moves.