By Bhekizenzo Zonele
The ANC remains the leading party in the Northern Cape following Wednesday’s local government elections, but has lost its outright majorities in Sol Plaatje and Dawid Kruiper, raising the prospect of coalition governments in two of the province’s key municipalities.
The ANC had secured 41.7% of the provincial ward vote, ahead of the Democratic Alliance (DA) on 21.6%, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) on 9.1% and the Patriotic Alliance (PA) on 8.4%, according to the latest IEC election dashboard.
By Friday morning, nearly all voting districts in the province had been captured, although the provincial count was not yet complete.
In Sol Plaatje — which includes the provincial capital Kimberley — the ANC secured 38.3% of the ward vote and 25 seats in the 65-seat council, falling eight seats short of the majority required to govern alone.
The DA followed with 22.7% and 15 seats, while the EFF secured 10.9% and seven seats. The PA won 8.4% and five seats.
The ANC secured 33 seats in 2021, giving it a narrow outright majority.
Its share of the ward vote has fallen from 49.8% to 38.3%, a decline of 11.5 percentage points, while its council representation has dropped by eight seats.
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The DA increased its representation from 14 to 15 seats, with its ward vote rising from 20.3% to 22.7%.
The PA also strengthened its position, increasing from three seats and 4.2% of the ward vote in 2021 to five seats and 8.4% in 2026.
In Dawid Kruiper, which includes Upington, the DA narrowly overtook the ANC on the ward ballot, securing 41.6% compared with the ANC’s 41.4%.
Both parties secured 14 seats in the 33-seat council, leaving neither with the 17 seats required for a majority.
The PA emerged as a potential kingmaker with 10.6% of the ward vote and four council seats, while the Freedom Front Plus secured one seat.
In 2021, the ANC won 18 seats and secured 55.5% of the ward vote in Dawid Kruiper.
The DA increased its representation from 12 to 14 seats, with its ward vote rising from 34.9% to 41.6%, overtaking the ANC to become the municipality’s largest party by vote share.
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The PA, which received just 0.2% of the ward vote and failed to win a seat in 2021, secured four seats in 2026, potentially giving it a decisive role in coalition negotiations.
Its four councillors would be sufficient to give either the ANC or DA a governing majority if the parties reached a coalition agreement.
The ANC remains the largest party in several Northern Cape municipalities, including Phokwane, where it retained an outright majority.
The province has been beset by service-delivery problems, particularly water shortages, sewage spillages, and ageing, neglected municipal infrastructure.
In Kimberley, residents have repeatedly raised concerns about burst water pipes, unreliable water services and deteriorating roads.
The Department of Water and Sanitation previously identified inadequate maintenance and ageing infrastructure as major contributors to water interruptions, leaks and sewage spillages in Sol Plaatje.
The municipality’s 2024/25 annual report acknowledged that its water losses were excessively high, attributing the problem partly to inadequate water management systems.
The latest Green Drop report identified serious concerns about pollution from the Upington-Kameelmond Wastewater Treatment Works, which discharges into the Orange River.
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