LOOK: EFF and MK Party hold coalition talks after local elections

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has met with the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party to discuss possible coalition arrangements following the 2026 local government elections.

The African National Congress (ANC) emerged as the biggest party nationally, securing 30.76% of the vote, or approximately 9.16 million votes. However, no single party secured an outright majority in many municipalities, creating the need for coalition negotiations.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) declared the final results on 8 November, confirming that approximately 14.9 million South Africans had participated in the elections.

EFF AND MK PARTY MEET FOR POSSIBLE COALITIONS

The ANC’s coalition negotiations are being led by its secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, alongside other senior party leaders.

The MK Party’s negotiating team is led by its first deputy president, Duduzane Zuma, and advocate Dali Mpofu, among others.

The EFF’s five-member negotiating team comprises secretary-general Marshall Dlamini, deputy secretary-general Leigh-Ann Mathys, Gauteng provincial chairperson Nkululeko Dunga, Veronica Mente and Dr Gumani Tshimomola.

On Wednesday, 11 November, the EFF confirmed that it had held what it described as a “very progressive” meeting with the Jacob Zuma-led MK Party.

“This is the time for left-wing organisations to rally together and save this country from Apartheid 2.0. We are committed to putting the people of South Africa first through practical service delivery, by ensuring regular refuse collection, insourcing municipal workers, restoring and maintaining streetlights, and exempting vulnerable households from paying for basic services such as water and electricity,” the party said.

The meeting forms part of ongoing coalition discussions as political parties seek agreements to govern municipalities where they do not have enough council seats to govern independently.