LGE results: Ramaphosa urges political parties to cooperate on coalition discussions
With the local government election results officially declared last night, Ramaphosa used his weekly newsletter to appeal to new councillors to put the needs of communities above other interests.
Lindsay Dentlinger
President Cyril Ramaphosa at NROC, results of the LGE 2026. Picture: Simphiwe Nkosi/EWN
Simphiwe Nkosi/EWN
President Cyril Ramaphosa has given political parties their marching orders to cooperate in good faith so that councils can be constituted and they can get to work.
With the local government election results officially declared last night, Ramaphosa used his weekly newsletter to appeal to new councillors to put the needs of communities above other interests.
As the election focus shifts to coalition talks, Ramaphosa said political parties need to make local government the engine room of service delivery.
President Ramaphosa said winning the confidence of the electorate at the ballot box must never be taken for granted.
He said those who have been elected must work to find common ground from the outset, regardless of their political differences.
"Through this election, the South African people are demanding that those entrusted with public service fulfil their responsibilities. Those who have been elected to councils now need to prove themselves worthy of the trust placed in them by the South African people," Ramaphosa said.
With his party, the African National Congress (ANC) having suffered the most bruising defeat at the polls, with just 30% of the vote, it will this week be shopping around for coalition partners to maintain some grip on municipalities, particularly metros.
Ramaphosa said, like elsewhere in the world, the political choices of South Africans are being shaped by the "bread-and-butter" issues that matter most to voters.
He said voters want work and economic opportunity, reliable and affordable supplies of water and electricity, well-maintained public spaces and neighbourhoods where they feel safe.
Ramaphosa said incoming councillors now need to prove themselves worthy of the trust placed in them by the South African people, and work must begin in earnest.