FF Plus warns DA off an ANC deal in Joburg. Why its 5 seats matter

The Freedom Front Plus says it will stop working with the DA anywhere in South Africa if the DA goes into a coalition with the ANC in Johannesburg. FF Plus leader Corné Mulder made the threat in an interview with BizNews this week, IOL reported.

"We will not be part of that. The public indicated that they no longer want to see the ANC in government," Mulder said. He called a DA and ANC deal "the highest form of treason" and political suicide, and said the DA should instead form a coalition with ActionSA and the FF Plus (IOL; Newsday).

The FF Plus's five Joburg seats matter more than they look. Without them, a DA and ActionSA deal falls short in Johannesburg.

Does a DA, ActionSA and FF Plus deal have the numbers?

Yes in Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni. In Joburg and Ekurhuleni, it's the FF Plus seats that take DA and ActionSA past the majority mark. In Tshwane, DA and ActionSA have enough on their own.

Seat totals added up by Reported from IEC results published by Rateweb: Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Nelson Mandela Bay.

The seats behind those totals: in Joburg the DA has 91, the ANC 63, ActionSA 43 and the FF Plus 5. In Tshwane it's DA 74, ActionSA 48, ANC 44 and FF Plus 17. In Ekurhuleni, DA 66, ANC 59, ActionSA 40 and FF Plus 11 (Rateweb).

Mulder listed Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Mangaung, Buffalo City and Nelson Mandela Bay as metros a DA and ANC deal could control (Newsday).

What does "stop working with the DA nationwide" mean?

Mulder said the FF Plus would withdraw its cooperation with the DA across the country if the DA chose the ANC in Joburg (IOL). He didn't spell out which councils or arrangements that would affect, and the DA had not publicly responded by Friday afternoon.

Both parties are also in the national Government of National Unity with the ANC. Mulder's comments were about municipal coalitions, and he did not say the FF Plus would leave the GNU.

Where does the ANC stand?

The ANC's extended NEC reportedly resolved this week that the DA should be a "last resort" in municipal coalition talks (IOL). Reported has more on what that means for the Gauteng metros.

The left-wing parties around the Council of the Left, including the SACP, EFF and MK, have said they won't back ANC-led coalitions that include the DA (IOL).

DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis and ActionSA's Herman Mashaba met on 12 November. Here's what each side wants and the seat maths.

Coalition talks are still going on, and no metro deal had been announced by Friday afternoon. We'll update this article when one is.