The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and ActionSA have opened coalition discussions following South Africa’s local elections, adding a new dimension to negotiations over who will govern Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni.
The three Gauteng metros returned hung councils, so no party can form an administration alone. IOL reports that ActionSA and the EFF met in Johannesburg on Monday and described their first engagement as positive. The discussions are exploratory; neither party has announced a concluded coalition agreement.
ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont said the meeting focused on political stability and service delivery. The party has also met with the ANC and is waiting to confirm further meetings with other formations. The EFF says its negotiating team has been instructed to put communities first while preserving the party’s policy principles.
ActionSA’s stance may narrow its options
The talks are taking place as ActionSA weighs possible partners across the three cities. IOL reports that party leader Herman Mashaba has rejected a coalition with the Democratic Alliance (DA), a position that could make some governing combinations more difficult. The DA, meanwhile, says it will coordinate its coalition strategy nationally and engage parties it considers aligned with its policies.
In Tshwane, the DA has 74 of the 214 council seats and ActionSA has 48, according to IEC results cited by IOL. Together they would have 122 seats, above the 108 needed for a majority, but the political relationship between the parties remains uncertain. In Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni, negotiations will likewise depend on how parties combine their council representation.
Deals needed before council sittings
Parties are working toward agreements before the first council meetings, which are expected around November 25 or 26. Those sittings will see councillors sworn in and speakers and executive mayors elected. A governing pact will also shape who oversees municipal departments and how councils set service and budget priorities.
With coalition talks now under way, the immediate question is whether parties can translate exploratory meetings into durable agreements. The outcome will affect who leads three of Gauteng’s largest urban administrations and whether their new councils can begin work with a stable majority.
Source: IOL, “EFF, ActionSA and ANC kick off coalition talks as fight for Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni metros intensifies,” 10 November 2026. This is an original Sunday Express report based on that coverage.
Featured image: ActionSA representatives meet with the EFF. Image credit: X/@ME_Beaumont (via IOL).