Susan Booysen’s warning about coalition politics cuts to the heart of what makes these municipal elections consequential: outright majorities are vanishing, and the parties that cannot negotiate will not govern.
South Africa’s political landscape is heating up as major parties ramp up their ground operations ahead of municipal elections. The intensifying campaign activity reflects deepening competition over control of local government, with established parties and rising challengers competing for voter attention across multiple provinces.
The African National Congress, the Democratic Alliance, and the Economic Freedom Fighters have all substantially increased their campaign presence in recent weeks. These efforts reveal where each party sees its greatest opportunities and vulnerabilities. Campaigns have centered on four core issues that consistently resonate with voters: the ongoing electricity crisis, rising crime rates, persistent unemployment, and the quality of local governance itself. These themes cut across urban and rural areas alike, suggesting broad public dissatisfaction with conditions at the municipal level.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has taken a direct role in ANC campaigning, personally engaging voters and party members to shore up support for the ruling party. His involvement signals how much the ANC values retaining control of key municipalities, particularly in urban centers where the party’s dominance has faced erosion in recent election cycles.
By contrast, DA leader John Steenhuisen has seized on government performance failures as a central campaign message. He has been particularly vocal in criticizing service delivery shortcomings, positioning the DA as a more competent alternative for voters frustrated with current administration.
The EFF’s campaign strategy reflects its position as a growing force in South African politics, operating from a different ideological foundation than its two main competitors. All three parties recognize that municipal elections offer a critical opportunity to reshape local power structures and build momentum for future national contests.
Booysen’s assessment underscores a defining reality of contemporary South African politics: outright majorities are becoming less common, forcing parties into power-sharing negotiations after elections. This dynamic has already reshaped governance in several major cities and is expected to intensify as electoral fragmentation continues. Coalition negotiations can be protracted and contentious, often producing unstable local governments where competing parties struggle to implement coherent policy agendas.
The breadth of campaign activity across multiple provinces indicates that no region is being taken for granted. Control of municipalities determines how electricity is managed, how police resources are allocated, how unemployment programs are designed, and how local infrastructure is maintained. These are not abstract political prizes. They are concrete matters affecting daily life.
The focus on electricity supply is particularly telling. Load shedding has become a defining grievance for voters across income levels and geographic regions. Crime and unemployment similarly transcend traditional political divides, creating space for parties to compete on competence rather than ideology alone. Local governance quality speaks to whether elected officials actually deliver on promises and manage municipal resources responsibly.
As campaigns continue to intensify, the question that will define the post-election period is not simply which party wins the most votes, but which parties prove capable of building durable coalitions and translating local power into functional government.