South African local government elections - August 3, 2016

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It is out!

DA forms a general coalition with UDM, COPE, ACDP and VF+. This gives them a majority coalition in NMB. EFF will not join, but will, for the moment, give outside support to DA governments in NMB, Tshwane, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni (possibly elsewhere as well). This means DA mayors in the Gauteng metros. EFF leader calls DA the "better devil".

No agreements with IFP but both EFF and the DA-led coalition pledge outside support to it in KZN.

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National DA leadership renounces the DA/ANC deal in Kannaland as unauthorized. Local DA leaders will be punished.

IFP announces that it will vote together with the DA-led combine in both KZN and Gauteng.

ANC cancels its press-conference in NMB.

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So, the NOC metro governments, it seems, will be:

NMB : majority DA+ (61). Outside EFF support (6). Opposition ANC+ (53).

Tshwane: minority DA+ (96). Outside EFF support (25). Opposition ANC+ (90)

Johannesburg: minority DA+ (108). Outside EFF/IFP support (35). Opposition ANC+ (127)

Ekurhuleni: minority DA+ (81). Outside EFF/IFP support (27). Opposition ANC+ (116).

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In any case, even ignoring the outside support pledges, a four NOC municipalities will be majority controlled by the DA/UDM/COPE/ACDP/VF+ combine.

These are

Witzenberg, WC (DA 11+COPE 1 against 11 for the rest)
Hessequa, WC (DA 8 + VF+ 1 against 8 for ANC)
Knysna, WC (DA 10 + COPE 1 + ACDP 1 against 9 for the rest)
Nelson Mandela Bay, EC (DA 57+UDM 2 + COPE 1 + ACDP 1 against 59 for the rest)

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So the EFF will presumably be able to form a minority administration in Rustenburg? Also seems like rather significant news.

Hard to say. ANC has 43 seats in Rustenburg. EFF got 24 and DA 14, with UDM and VF+ 1 seat each. So,  even all four together are at 40. 6 seats went to other parties. So, who knows.

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AIC goes into nationwide coalition with ANC. Together they have 44 out of 90 seats in Rustenburg. One more seat needed to block opposition control and another to form the municipal government there.

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ANC tried to block the first meeting of the new council in NMB. They failed: DA candidates are elected speaker and mayor.

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AIC goes into nationwide coalition with ANC. Together they have 44 out of 90 seats in Rustenburg. One more seat needed to block opposition control and another to form the municipal government there.

Did ANC concede to demands to transfer Matatiele to KZN?

I know, it was the demand, but I have not heard anything about it being agreed to.

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Tshwane ANC has accepted that it will be the opposition.

Rustenburg is still unclear. First council meeting is today. Seems like EFF is willing to have a mayor from a minor party (F4SD, which simply means Forum For Service Delivery), but nothing is final.

Ekurhuleni has postponed the first council meeting till next week.

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Chaos in Rustenburg. All opposition parties have agreed to support F4SD leader for mayor. However, it seems, to of F4SD councillors might defect to the ANC. On the other hand, the lone AIC councillor, it seems, has not committed to ANC. Secret ballot soon.

Tshwane is now officially governed by DA.

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Rustenburg stays with ANC. It was a secret ballot, so nobody knows how. ANC (43) got an extra vote from AIC, but that was expected. Another extra, apparently, came from BCM (despite them having promised to vote for F4SD mayor. But where the last vote came from, nobody knows.

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DA's candidate Vasco da Gama (no joke!) is elected council speaker in JB. EFF councillors insisted on showing their (secret) ballots before depositing them: either a post-Rustenburg demonstration, or loyalty control. DA candidate is now clearly expected to become mayor.

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DA's Herman Mashaba elected Johannesburg mayor with 144 council votes against 125 for the ANC incumbent.

Ekurhuleni, the last major of interest, should be resolved tomorrow.

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Ekurhuleni has elected ANC speaker 117 to 106 votes, with one ballot spoiled. Looks like an ANC mayor there later today.

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ANC gets Ekurhuleni mayoralty.