The ANC’s provincial secretary, Deshi Ngxanga, has confirmed to OFM News that the party will be entering into talks with different political formations and will be leading the talks. Amongst others, the DA, EFF, and Freedom Front Plus (FF+) also confirmed that they will be discussing the coalition talks but no final decisions have been taken yet. These three parties told OFM News that their national leadership will pronounce itself after the declaration of the 2021 Local Government Elections (LGE) results by the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). EFF’s provincial secretary, Shadrack Tlhaole, says the EFF Central Command Team (CCT) will provide its directive once the party has held a planned media briefing on Thursday.

The DA’s provincial leader, Harold Mcgluwa, tells OFM News that the DA’s federal leadership, together with the provincial leadership, will make an announcement about the talks. The FF Plus leader, Dr Wynand Boshoff, will enter coalition talks. However, the party won’t enter into coalition talks with the ruling ANC party or the red berets of the  EFF.

The ANC has, however, retained 21 municipalities out of 26. The party has retained the province with a margin of 50% which is down by 8% compared to the 58% attained in the previous local government elections in 2016.

The ANC has further retained municipalities, such as the Kimberley-based Sol Plaatje Local Municipality, which was hotly contested.

The overall provincial vote shows the ANC's support base at 50.76%, followed by the DA with 19.6%, and the EFF with 10.39%. The ruling party has received over 300,000 votes, the DA over 120,000, and the EFF over 60,000 votes.

The municipalities with hung councils include three local municipalities from the Namakwa District Municipality, four from the Pixley Ka Seme District Municipality, two from the ZF Mgcawu District Municipality, and one from the John Taolo Gaetsewe district.

The municipalities are as follows: Nama Khoi Local Municipality which includes Springbok (Namakwa), Hantam Local Municipality which includes Calvinia (Namakwa), and Karoo Hoogland which includes Sutherland (Namakwa); Kareeberg which includes the Carnarvon (Pixley Ka Seme), Thembelihle which include Strydenburg (Pixley Ka Seme), Siyathemba which include Prieska (Pixley Ka Seme), Siyacuma which include Douglas (Pixley Ka Seme); !Kheis which includes Groblershoop (ZF Mgcawu), Kgatelopele which includes Daniëlskuil (ZF Mgcawu); and Gamagara which includes Kathu (John Taolo Gaetsewe District Municipality).

The Northern Cape has become one of the first provinces in the country to reach 100% completion of their vote capturing.

OFM News