ANC needs 9 more seats in Buffalo City. The deals that get it to 51

The ANC won 42 of Buffalo City's 100 seats and needs 9 more to reach the 51 that control the council. Its most obvious partner, the UDM, has turned down an offer of the deputy mayor post, News24 reported on 11 November.

That leaves the ANC working through smaller parties. An ANC source told News24 the party is also talking to the EFF, SACP, PA and ActionSA and is "still waiting for feedback".

How many seats does each party have?

Sources: Rateweb Buffalo City results from IEC files (all 380 voting districts counted), News24.

The ANC took 41.9% of the vote, down from 59.4% in 2021, while the UDM jumped from 0.96% to about 18%, according to News24's analysis. It is the first time the ANC has lost its majority in the metro, which includes KuGompo City (East London), Qonce (King William's Town) and Mdantsane.

Which coalitions reach 51 seats?

By Reported's calculation from the seat totals above:

Source: seat totals from Rateweb.

The simplest ANC route without the UDM or DA is the EFF plus the SACP, its alliance partner that ran separately in this election, for 54 seats. ANC provincial spokesperson Yanga Zicina told News24 the party's "relationship with the SACP still stands, but varies from region to region."

An opposition-only government is much harder. Without the ANC, the other 11 parties hold 58 seats together, so they could only lose 7. Leaving out the EFF still gets to 51, but only if the UDM, DA, SACP, ATM, PA, ActionSA, FF Plus, MK Party, PAC and AIC all vote together.

What did the UDM say?

UDM deputy president Nqabayomzi Kwankwa, the party's mayoral candidate, told News24 the UDM has no intention of governing with the ANC, saying it is responsible for "the mess" the metro is in. A UDM source said the party was offered the deputy mayor post and mayoral committee seats and refused.

The UDM wants to talk to other opposition parties first and says it is happy to sit in opposition if that fails (News24; Daily Dispatch). Kwankwa told SABC News on 6 November that talks with other parties were preliminary and informal.

According to News24, ANC national leaders planned to approach UDM leader Bantu Holomisa directly to try to broker a deal. Buffalo City has had no deputy mayor for about three years, the outlet reported.

What are the other parties saying?

Not much yet. The DA's Buffalo City constituency leader, Leander Kruger, said it would be premature to comment. The EFF's regional chairperson, Mziyanda Hlekiso, said talks were being handled by national leaders (News24). The ANC says its own negotiations are run by its national executive.

When must the new council sit?

CoGTA says metro and local councils must be constituted between 12 and 26 November 2026, and its new coalition guidelines say deals must stay out of appointments and tenders (SA Government; Reported on the guidelines). At the first sitting, councillors elect a speaker and an executive mayor.

The seat count matters beyond the mayor's chair. Under section 160 of the Constitution, a municipal budget, rates and loans can only be approved by a majority of all council members, which in Buffalo City means 51 votes. A minority government would have to win support for every budget.

What does this mean for residents?

Services carry on while parties negotiate, because officials run the day-to-day administration. Keep reporting water, electricity and refuse problems through Buffalo City's official channels.

Check the final official results on the IEC results site. For the earlier count, see Reported's Buffalo City results story.