LOCAL ELECTIONS 2026: On paper vs reality — could the DA and the ANC work together in Joburg?

Amid all of the variables affecting the outcome of the Joburg elections, one near-certainty stands out: the ANC and the DA will be the two biggest parties. Which makes a coalition between them one of the most durable options. Could it really happen?

On the face of it there are many strong reasons that the ANC and the DA should work together and many strong reasons they can’t. 

The fact that the two have never worked together in any council despite the multitude of coalition combinations we have seen suggests there are strong reasons they cannot. But in the days after this election it might seem like the only option.

First, the fact that they would have a commanding majority with just two parties would make it very stable. And they would be replicating the coalition that has so far held in national government.

Second, both parties appeal to the middle of our politics.

As the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection reminded us this week, “doughnut coalitions”, where smaller parties work together to exclude the biggest party, do not improve service delivery. The people who vote for the ANC and the DA tend to have similar interests; they both represent the “insiders” in our formal economy. 

Such a coalition would also have legitimacy, in that DA supporters would believe it could work against corruption and ANC supporters would feel heard and represented. 

Then there is the politics of the post-election moment.

The DA could easily tell its supporters that it will work with the ANC if it holds the position of mayor. If it is the biggest party it could probably insist on this.

And it would say this is the first time the ANC agrees to work under the DA (and there would be snide remarks about how this is to prepare the ANC for when Geordin Hill-Lewis “becomes President in 2029”).

The other important point is that one of the factors that emerged in the coalition discussions in 2024 could be raised again.

A DA leader could easily say they have to work with the ANC to keep the EFF and MK out of government in Joburg. While Hill-Lewis has not repeated John Steenhuisen’s pre-2024 rhetoric of the “doomsday coalition”, it may still have some power.

However, this prospect also creates major problems for the DA.

First, it would mean they would have to share power substantially with the ANC.

That means it would have to appoint an ANC member to a portfolio like the transport department. If they fail to fix potholes, voters would hold the DA mayor responsible.

The other, probably bigger problem is some of the personalities involved.

In national government, the DA was prepared to work with President Cyril Ramaphosa because they trusted him. They also knew that many of their voters, while supporting the DA, respected Ramaphosa.

The Joburg ANC region has no one like Ramaphosa. Instead it seems hopelessly divided. 

Which means the DA might never be able to trust the people the ANC wants to deploy to positions such as deputy mayor or finance head.

The real risk the DA would face is that it would help corrupt elements in the ANC stay in power and continue their “late-stage looting”.

Enemy the best option?

For the ANC there are also opportunities and huge risks.

First, to work with the DA, even as a smaller party, might be the best option to at least retain some power. They too could tell their voters they are simply following the lead from national government.

This would mean they could still be in charge of certain key portfolios, and perhaps insist on certain departments as part of the coalition negotiations.

They might also prefer a relatively stable DA compared with the problems any other coalition partners might create.

While some ANC supporters might see the DA as their ideological enemy, that might be easier to accept than working with someone who has betrayed their party.

Both Julius Malema and Jacob Zuma have led breakaways that have significantly hurt the ANC.

In particular, MK, which is likely to get more support than the EFF in Joburg in this election, might be a very volatile coalition partner. 

The ANC in Ekurhuleni has found the EFF difficult to work with as well, something the ANC in Joburg might wish to avoid.

For both the EFF and MK, coalition decisions are made by just one person, meaning the ANC would be subject to the whim of just one person. The DA is a more complex organisation, which might give the ANC more certainty about how it will behave.

But the ANC would face major problems in this scenario as well.

It would be hugely galling to have to give up so much power to someone when you have been used to governing on your own.

And some ANC supporters might believe the party has sold out and would be speeding up its demise by sharing power with the DA.

They would also be concerned about the personality of Helen Zille.

While she has immense experience managing coalitions, having created the first DA-led coalition in a metro in Cape Town from 2006, and in negotiating the national coalition, she would also make certain demands.

And some ANC figures might find it impossible to trust her.

While Zille has been incredibly disciplined on the campaign trail, were she to repeat some comments she has made in the past about race, that might make it impossible for the ANC to continue working with her (MK and ActionSA, both rivals of the DA, have claimed she used “profane language” during a Moja Love debate – the footage of the debate has not been shown, making it impossible to know what was said or if this claim is true).

On paper, a combination of the DA’s experience in improving service delivery and the ANC’s broad legitimacy among many communities could make this the ideal coalition in Joburg.

In reality, there are many difficult issues and problems that would have to be ironed out first.

While they will almost certainly be the two biggest parties in Joburg after this election, the poll will reveal the true power relationship between them.

And only then could a clearer picture emerge of whether they could work together in a council for the first time in our democratic era. DM