South African local government elections - August 3, 2016

[ag]

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.

[Kosmos]

ANC might still retain Rustenburg. There are 3 smaller parties I know nothing about that won seats. ANC only need two seats for a majority, albeit a fragile one, so it is still possible that they could prevail.

9. uMngeni, KwaZulu-Natal.  DA 41.12%. Shockingly a black (75%) Zulu (64.3%) place that sent its anti-ANC vote to DA, not toIFP. 19.4% of the population is white and full 25.5% speaks English. But, still... Can somebody explain?

That's an interesting one. Certainly seems strange at first glance for DA to do so well there. These demographics seem very similar to Tshwane's. But I checked the IEC's map, and it turns out DA support in the uMngeni townships wasn't much to brag about; a few percent in most cases. There might be middle class blacks in Howick that they did better with, however.

But I rather think the answer lies with the whites, though I can't say for sure. uMngeni is the council with by far the largest share of white residents in KZN. And remember that whites are overrepresented even in ordinary elections. In local polls they are even more so. I would not be surprised if 30% of the uMngeni votes, or close to it anyway, came from white voters. And with Howick being english, there is no VF+ to take votes. Then there is also a respectable portion of indians living there. So, all in all, I don't think DA is doing that well with black voters there. They are just good at getting their own supporters out to vote.

[ag]

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.

[ag]

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

[Kosmos]

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?

[ag]

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.

[ag]

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.

[ag]

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.

[ag]

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.

[ag]

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.

[ag]

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.

[ag]

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

[ag]

ANC gets Ekurhuleni mayoralty.