ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said the party is campaigning for an outright majority in the upcoming municipal elections.
The push for a dominant electoral result is intended to ensure the party can govern without the need to negotiate power-sharing agreements. Avoiding coalitions allows the party to implement its policy agenda without the compromises often required by multi-party partnerships.
Mbalula said during a Volunteers Assembly in Durban [1] that the party's primary goal is to secure enough support to govern independently.
This strategy comes amid a shifting political landscape in South Africa. While the party is targeting a clear mandate to bypass coalition dynamics, other reports suggest a different trajectory. SABC News reports the party is campaigning for this majority to avoid coalitions [1], though separate reporting from The Globe and Mail indicates the ANC has reached a broad agreement to form a coalition government [1].
The Volunteers Assembly served as a mobilization point for party supporters. Mbalula said the gathering was used to align the party's grassroots base with the goal of electoral dominance.
By focusing on an outright majority, the ANC is attempting to reclaim a level of control that has become more elusive in recent electoral cycles. The outcome of these municipal elections will determine whether the party can return to a position of singular authority or must continue navigating the complexities of shared governance.
“The ANC is campaigning for an outright majority in the upcoming municipal elections.”
The ANC's stated goal of avoiding coalitions reflects a desire to restore centralized party control over local governance. However, the contradiction between Mbalula's public campaign goals and reports of existing coalition agreements suggests a dual-track strategy: pursuing a majority while simultaneously preparing for a fragmented political environment where coalitions may be inevitable.
