SACP won't work with the DA. The 3 Western Cape councils it affects

The SACP will not go into coalitions with the DA or the FF Plus in Western Cape councils, its provincial secretary Benson Ngqentsu said, adding that the party would rather sit in opposition (EWN).

The SACP won seven council seats in six Western Cape municipalities in its first local election as an independent party: Cape Town, Knysna, Saldanha Bay, Drakenstein, Theewaterskloof and Mossel Bay (EWN). The DA has outright majorities in Drakenstein and Mossel Bay (Drakenstein, Mossel Bay, via The Outlier), so the SACP's stance matters most in the three hung councils where it has a seat.

What did the SACP say?

Ngqentsu said the party was "not prepared to enter into coalition arrangements with politically compromised and tainted forces" (EWN). The SACP wants partners who will protect workers, stop the privatisation of municipal services and put service delivery first (EWN).

What are the seats in the three hung councils?

Seats from IEC results via ESP, linked per council. PMC is the People's Movement for Change, KCA the Knysna Civic Alliance, NCC the National Coloured Congress.

Knysna: the one to watch

EWN singled out Knysna, where the DA has 9 of 21 seats and needs help to reach 11 (EWN).

Without the SACP, the DA can still get there. The DA and Patriotic Alliance together have exactly 11. The DA and FF Plus make 10, so one more seat from any other party would be enough.

The numbers also allow a government without the DA, but only just. Every party except the DA and FF Plus, from the ANC to the four one-seat parties, adds up to exactly 11. That needs eight parties to agree, with no seat to spare.

Theewaterskloof and Saldanha Bay

In Theewaterskloof (Caledon, Grabouw, Villiersdorp) the DA's 11 plus the PA's 4 gives 15, above the 14 needed. An alliance without the DA would need the ANC, PA, SACP and the three other one-seat parties, which also makes 15.

In Saldanha Bay the DA is one seat short at 15 of 31. The FF Plus's 2 seats alone would take it to 17, so the SACP's single seat is unlikely to decide who governs.

The table and these sums are seat arithmetic only. No coalition deal had been announced in these councils in the sources used here.

When will we know?

The IEC gazetted elected councillors on 13 November, starting a 14-day deadline for first council meetings, where the mayor and speaker are elected (EWN).