ANC Gauteng says going back to the drawing board for way forward on coalitions

JOHANNESBURG - The African National Congress (ANC) in Gauteng said it would be straight to the drawing board after all the votes had been counted to find a way forward in collaboration with other parties.

The party, which has held a majority in the Gauteng province since 1994, conceded to a coalition government in Ekurhuleni after the 2021 local government elections.

At last count, the election dashboard placed the ANC's pull in the province at 33.62%, 5% above the Democratic Alliance (DA).

At the moment, the ANC does not have a majority in the country's most populous province.

Marred with corruption allegations, it seems as though the party will have to turn back on its promises of not going into coalition.

Earlier this month, outgoing Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi said that coalition governments did not work, using the Iran government as an example, adding that there was no clear reporting line.

However, his views were not supported by fellow party member, Human Settlements MEC Lebogang Maile.

"We are not emotional like the leader of ActionSA, who is irrational, making determinations 'we can't work with these people or those'. Politics doesn't work like that."