The Executive Chair of the Institute of Election Management Services in Africa, Terry Tselane, says this year’s local government elections could result in more hung councils.
With around 50% of voting districts declared, the number of hung councils has increased to 33.
A hung council is one where no single party has the majority of seats.
Speaking to the SABC at the IEC Results Centre in Pretoria, Tselane explains, “I think it is becoming increasingly clear that the days of one permanent party are over and as a result of that we are going to see more and more hung councils in these elections. It means that we are going to have to find a way of managing those hung municipalities.”
Hung councils in Western Cape
The IEC in the Western Cape says there are 12 hung councils in the province where no political party received an outright majority. These include Knysna, Theewaterskloof, Oudtshoorn and Langeberg.
There were four hung councils in the province during the 2016 local government elections. Provincial Electoral Officer Michael Hendrickse says 60% of the results have been captured so far.
“So we have three municipalities that have outright majority in other words where a party has an outright majority and that is in Berg River, Swartland which is on Malmesbury side, and you have Hessequa which is out Riversdale side and then the 12 other municipalities are all hung councils.”
With counting at 48% of voting districts nationwide completed, the African National Congress (ANC) has almost 47 % support, the DA close to 23%, and the EFF almost 10%.
The ANC has outright control of 42 councils and the DA eight. 131 councils have not yet been calculated.
Results keep trickling in:
