DA leads votes but ANC secures most seats in Lesedi election
No party secured an outright majority in Lesedi's 26-member council, setting the stage for coalition negotiations after the November 4 local government elections.
Lesedi Local Municipality is heading towards coalition negotiations after no political party secured an outright majority in the November 4 local government elections.
With all 40 voting districts processed, the DA received the most votes in both the ward and proportional representation ballots. However, the ANC emerged with the most seats in the municipality’s 26-member council.
According to the provisional results, the ANC secured nine council seats, followed by the DA with seven.
The uMkhonto weSizwe Party won three seats, while the Freedom Front Plus and Economic Freedom Fighters each secured two.
The South African Communist Party, ActionSA and Bopa Sechaba Community Movement each obtained one seat.
An outright majority requires 14 seats, meaning no single political party can govern Lesedi without securing additional support from other councillors.
The ANC won seven of the municipality’s 13 wards, while the DA secured five and the VF Plus won one ward. Despite winning fewer wards, the DA narrowly led the ward ballot with 9,544 votes (29.64%), compared with the ANC’s 9,504 votes (29.52%).
The difference between the two parties was just 40 votes.
The DA also led the proportional representation ballot with 9,541 votes (29.47%), ahead of the ANC’s 9,307 votes (28.74%). The final council allocation reflects the combination of ward and proportional representation seats.
With the ANC holding nine seats, it will need the support of at least five additional councillors to reach the majority threshold.
The DA, with seven seats, will need seven more councillors to secure the same majority. The smaller political parties collectively hold 10 seats, placing them in an important position during the coalition negotiations.
The newly constituted municipal council will elect the mayor, who will subsequently appoint the Mayoral Committee responsible for overseeing the municipality’s executive portfolios.
Although the DA received the most votes in both ballots, this does not automatically mean it will govern the municipality.
Similarly, the ANC’s position as the party with the most council seats does not guarantee it the mayoral position.
The outcome will depend on the agreements reached between political parties and the support they can secure within the council.
The election results also draw renewed attention to the municipality’s ability to address service delivery, financial, and administrative challenges.
