The coalition-building process in South Africa: Reflection on the 2021 local government elections

Abstract

It is standard practice for political parties to form coalition governments in instances where no single political party has achieved an absolute majority following an election. The local government elections held on 01 November 2021 in South Africa produced 70 coalition councils, a massive increase from the 27 formed following the previous election. Reasons for the surge include a decline in electoral support for the ruling party, the African National Congress, and for the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance, in favour of smaller political parties. While the efficacy of coalition formations has been the subject of considerable debate, the literature suggests that successful coalitions go through a coalition-building process that entails negotiations between partners and the signing of an agreement to pursue a common objective. The findings of the study are that in the absence of rules and guidelines underpinning local government coalitions in South Arica, political parties negotiate recklessly, and as a result, squabbles between political partners arise.