WHAT NOW? : South Africa’s 2016 Local Government Elections
SOUTH Africa’s local government elections have changed the political game. The ANC has suffered a significant blow, with its share of the vote falling beneath 55% nationally and beneath 50% in three key metropolitan areas – Tshwane (Pretoria), Nelson Mandela Bay (Port Elizabeth), and Johannesburg — thereby opening the way to a new period of coalition politics. The DA has increased its share of the national vote to above 25%, and seeks to form coalition governments in all three these cities. The EFF has become the kingmaker in several metropolitan areas, including Tshwane and Johannesburg, presenting the main protagonists with some acute dilemmas, and raising profound questions about what will happen next. In this, the first of our African Political Insights Series, we analyse the election results, address the key issue of how the ANC will react to losing its grip on political power, and examine prospects for a new era of coalition politics and government.