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Parliament, Friday, 13 November 2026 – The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Dr Zweli Mkhize, this week welcomed new guidelines to help establish and manage stable coalition councils in municipalities with no outright winner.
The Guidelines for Stable Coalitions in Local Government that the Department of COGTA published this week are intended as a practical resource to help municipalities establish functioning councils and ensure uninterrupted service delivery during political transitions.
These guidelines come at a critical time as political parties negotiate governing arrangements following the local government elections. About 138 hung councils, representing about 65% of councils, did not produce an outright majority for a single political party and will therefore require coalition, minority-government or other cooperative governing arrangements. These councils may benefit from the guidelines pending the committee’s consideration of the Coalitions Bill.
Among the key aspects of the transitional process covered in the guidelines are written agreements. Political parties are encouraged to conclude written agreements in which they outline shared policy priorities, decision-making arrangements, how to conduct themselves and how disagreements will be resolved. The guidelines also provide a template on which parties can base their negotiations.
Dr Mkhize welcomed the guidance and highlighted the importance of transparency when concluding these agreements. He said this is critical in ensuring accountability. He also noted the guidance it provides for resolving disputes that may arise and maintaining administrative continuity and provincial support. He stressed the importance of considering the interests of communities when negotiating. “Communities depend on councils to approve budgets, oversee municipal finances and ensure the reliable delivery of services, and if there are long, drawn-out disputes over positions, it will affect municipal delivery.
The Chairperson said a culture of trust, compromise and political integrity is needed in order to have effective and stable coalitions. “The guidelines give practical expression to the need for a culture of cooperation in which parties can manage differences while remaining accountable to voters,” he said.
The guidelines state that coalition agreements must ensure there is a clear separation between politics and administration. This means that political parties must leave all appointments, procurement and awarding of tenders to the administration. The Chairperson welcomed this clarity on the political-administrative interface. “Municipal resources must serve communities, and administrative decisions must be subject to lawful procedures,” he said. He also stressed the role of provincial governments in disseminating the guidelines and supporting municipalities.
The Chairperson reiterated that there are statutory requirements for constituting municipal councils, and the coalition negotiations are not an exception to this. “Political parties and councillors should use this tool constructively,” he urged, “even if it is non-binding.”
ISSUED BY THE PARLIAMENTARY COMMUNICATION SERVICES ON BEHALF OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE ON COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE AND TRADITIONAL AFFAIRS, DR ZWELI MKHIZE.
For media enquiries or interviews with the Chairpersons, please contact the committee’s Media Officer:
Name: Alicestine October
Parliamentary Communication Services
Cell: 083 665 4345
E-mail: aoctober@parliament.gov.za
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