The battle over who controls Dr Beyers Naude and Kou-Kamma municipalities in the Eastern Cape will be determined by major political players in the province in the coalition.
The ANC has set up a team to lead discussions on the coalition after it suffered huge losses in the elections as its support dropped from 54% in the last elections to 46%.
The almost 10% dip in electoral support cost it municipalities in almost all the provinces.
But the Eastern Cape has always been a stronghold of the ANC.
After the IEC almost concluded the counting of the results, figures in the Eastern Cape showed that in Kou-Kamma municipality the ANC obtained 46.35% of the vote.
The DA got 27.47% and the Patriotic Alliance got 10.89%.
In Dr Beyers Naude municipality the ANC received 46.82% of the support while the DA got 39.55%.
The EFF received 4.18%.
The ANC said it was willing to talk to other parties on hung municipalities.
“However, it is in the main an unambiguous signal to the ANC from the electorate.
“The low voter turnout, especially in traditional ANC strongholds, communicates a clear message.
“The people are disappointed in the ANC with the slow progress in fixing local government, in ensuring quality and consistent basic services, in tackling corruption and greed,” said the ANC yesterday.
It said it would talk to like minded parties about forming coalitions that a party that received most of the votes should be given an opportunity to form a council.
siyabonga.mkhwanazi@inl.co.za
POLITICAL BUREAU