With 69% of votes counted, the ANC held the lead in the race for control of the City of Tshwane at midday today.

At 12:00, the ANC had secured 18 seats, with 22.24% of the support, while ActionSA had 12 seats and 23.48% of the vote. The DA had 10 seats, despite commanding the highest support percentage among the three parties, at 31.44%.

No other party has been able to win a seat.

The figures point to a closely watched contest in the capital, with seat allocation and proportional support telling different stories about the parties’ performances as counting continues.

The ANC wards are spread from Mamelodi in the east to Soshanguve and Mabopane in the north, as well as Atteridgeville and Saulsville in the west. The list also extends to Ekangala and Rethabiseng in the far eastern reaches of the municipality. Together, these wards cover a broad mix of established townships and residential communities across the capital.

ActionSA’s 12 ward victories are concentrated largely in the western and north-western parts of Tshwane, stretching from Pretoria West, Atteridgeville and Saulsville in the west and south-west. The party’s victories cover a mix of established townships and residential neighbourhoods.

Analyst warns of seismic shift

Political analyst Wayne Sussman told Rekord that the ANC’s position in terms of support represented a significant shift from the previous local government elections in 2021, when it was the biggest party in Tshwane.

“The biggest party in the metro in the elections of 2021 is now only the third biggest party when it comes to support. It is a seismic change for Tshwane,” he said.

Sussman said the electorate had made a decisive call and was sending the ANC a strong message through the ballot box.

He cautioned, however, that the current seat count might not translate directly into the ANC’s final proportional representation allocation.

“Even though the ANC might not be able, because of the support at the ballot, to get that many proportional seats in the final allocation, it will be interesting to see, with the support percentage and the margin of victory, what the party’s representation in council will be,” he said.

Sussman said the central business district (CBD) wards would be among the areas to watch today, particularly as the remaining votes were counted and the results began to shape the final allocation of seats.

DA eyes coalition talks

Meanwhile, national DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis said earlier today that the party was ready to work towards building stable governments following the elections.

He said the DA was committed to approaching coalition discussions with respect for the mandates political parties received.

He said the DA was the largest party when it comes to support in four metropolitan municipalities, including Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Nelson Mandela Bay, while securing an outright majority in Cape Town.

He said the DA wanted governing coalitions that would prioritise reliable service delivery, water provision, safer streets and an environment in which businesses could grow and create jobs.

The Tshwane results remain subject to the completion of counting and the IEC’s final seat allocation.

ALSO: DA leads Tshwane vote count as ActionSA wins key wards

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