With coalition-run metros faltering and the ANC in decline, the 2026 elections may leave voters choosing between only two dominant parties.
Politicians tell us that every election is going to be the most important poll we’d ever vote in.
They’d use terms like watershed or defining or, God forbid, try to convince us we’d be crossing the Rubicon.
If this was any other country, it would be easy to write it off as the same old kind of rhetoric, because there’s comfort in the status quo.
Yet, in South Africa, the outcome of every election, these days, is likely the most important result of its own particular moment in history.
The 2021 municipal poll gifted the country malfunctioning coalition-run metros and foreshadowed, quite accurately, what was to come in the national election that delivered the government of national unity.
It also sharpened the decline of the ANC’s intentional slip on its own sword and, by the looks of it, it’s still going to be a hard fall.
At least, the DA seems to think so. Helen Zille is leading the pack as likely mayoral candidate for Joburg.
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In her contrail, potential and clear choices like Cilliers Brink for Tshwane and a menu of four candidates that could be on the cards for Ekurhuleni.
Former mayor Tania Campbell is also likely to be one of them.
Bent on avoiding the trappings of coalitions next year, the DA would have to rustle up an immensely powerful and influential campaign early on to sway voters from other parties into its fold.
If the polls are right, the ANC may still hit more turbulence, no matter who pilots their show and tell.
Some say because there’s not much to show.
Given that and the trajectory of South African politics, parties like the EFF, uMkhonto weSizwe, ActionSA and others may end up gasping for air in 2026.
Voters had their coalition just desserts and future ballots may just end up being an either, or, choice of two.
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