Cape Town - THE race for control of most municipalities may be a done deal for the ANC, but the ruling party in the Eastern Cape may be forced to get into coalitions in some municipalities where it failed to get an outright majority.
Other than Nelson Mandela Bay where the ANC was still leading with 40.81%, the party may be forced to get into bed with other parties in Kou-Kamma municipality and Dr Beyers Naudé municipality where its support has dropped to below 50%.
In Dr Beyers Naudé municipality the ANC was sitting at 46.82% followed by the DA at 39.55% and the EFF at 4.18%.
In Kou-Komma municipality the ANC was sitting at 46.39% and the DA was at 27.47% and the Patriotic Alliance emerged in third place with 10.89% of the vote in the council.
The DA has already declared victory in the Kouga municipality.
DA leader John Steenhuisen said yesterday they will continue to run this municipality.
This was after the DA first snatched the municipality in 2016 and in this year’s local government elections it has retained it.
But the smaller parties could become kingmakers in some of the municipalities in the province where there is no outright majority for any of the parties.
The ANC may be forced to talk to some of the parties over Nelson Mandela Bay metro, Kou-Komma municipality and Dr Beyers Naudé local municipality where it has not received the required majority to lead these municipalities.
The next few days and weeks will determine who is firmly in charge of these municipalities after coalition talks.
POLITICAL BUREAU