EXCLUSIVE: Mbalula orders Gauteng ANC to vote for Zille

The ANC Gauteng Provincial Task Team has been instructed by the ANC top brass to order councillors in Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni to vote with the DA, according to sources close to the ANC top seven.

The instruction, if implemented, would effectively mean the ANC giving power to the DA in the three Gauteng metros.

This would pave the way for DA Federal Chairperson Helen Zille to become Mayor of Johannesburg and for Cilliers Brink to become Mayor of Tshwane for the second time.

The sources said the instruction was communicated to the Gauteng Provincial Task Team by ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula on Monday 9 November ahead of the election of mayors, speakers and the formation of coalition governments in the three metropolitan municipalities.

Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni are all hung councils following the 2026 local government elections. No party won an outright majority in any of the three metros.

In Johannesburg, the ANC secured 63 ward seats and no additional proportional representation seats, giving the organisation a total of 63 councillors in the 270-member council.

In a hung council, the voting bloc of the ANC would be decisive in determining who becomes mayor and speaker.

The sources close to the top seven said the instruction was for ANC councillors in the three metros to vote with the DA in the election of mayors, speakers and in the formation of coalition governments.

The sources did not provide a written instruction. Africa Daily has not independently seen a written instruction from the ANC's National Executive Committee or any other ANC national structure.

The ANC suffered a decline in support in the 2026 local government elections, falling to around 31% nationally, down from 45.6% in 2021.

In Gauteng, the ANC lost its previous control of the three metros and now faces coalition negotiations to determine who governs Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni.

Councils must be constituted within 14 days of the declaration of results.

The ANC's National Executive Committee is scheduled to discuss the party's coalition approach on Thursday.

Fikile Mbalula, ANC Secretary-General, and Mahlengi Bhengu, ANC national spokesperson, had not responded to detailed questions from Africa Daily at the time of going to press.

However, the party's national media liaison officer said discussions would only take place during the ANC NEC meeting on Thursday.

The ANC Greater Joburg Regional Secretary Sasabona Manganye downplayed the allegations.

Manganye said: "The ANC Greater Joburg Region has noted the rumours suggesting that the ANC national leadership or its top structures have instructed ANC councillors in Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni to vote with the Democratic Alliance in the election of mayors, speakers or the formation of coalition governments."

"To the best of our knowledge, no such instruction has been communicated to the ANC Greater Joburg Regional leadership. We are therefore unable to confirm the existence of an instruction from the NEC or any other ANC national structure directing ANC councillors to vote with the DA in these metropolitan municipalities."

"Our understanding is that the NEC will only discuss coalition approach on Thursday so the possibility of such instruction is non-existent."

"The ANC's approach to coalition arrangements must be informed by the political circumstances in each municipality, the electoral mandate received from voters, and the interests of the people we serve."

"Our immediate priority is to ensure political stability, effective governance, accountability and improved service delivery. Coalition arrangements cannot simply be about the distribution of positions or access to political office. They must be anchored in a programme of action that responds to the material conditions of our people."

"The ANC has consistently maintained that coalition discussions must be conducted through the appropriate organisational structures and that no individual or structure should make commitments outside its mandate. In this instance, we will be guided by the NEC after its meeting on Thursday."

On coalition negotiations and authorised representatives Manganye said:

"Coalition negotiations must be undertaken by duly authorised negotiating teams operating within mandates provided under the leadership of the Secretary General."

"In Johannesburg, the Regional leadership remains guided by the collective decisions and mandates of the organisation. Any coalition arrangement must ultimately serve the interests of the people of Johannesburg and advance the ANC's programme of action."

"The ANC will communicate its formal positions through the appropriate organisational channels when decisions have been taken."

"Our position is straightforward: the ANC's participation in coalition arrangements must be guided by the interests of our people, political stability, good governance and the restoration of effective service delivery. We will not subordinate these priorities to political expediency or the pursuit of positions for their own sake," Manganye said.

The ANC Greater Joburg Region also confirmed the position regarding the mayoral candidacy in Johannesburg.

Former mayor Dada Morero did not contest for ward councilor. Loyiso Masuku did not contest a ward and was hoping to enter council through the PR list, but is now unlikely to make it. Neither, on current allocations, is a councillor, and therefore neither can be elected mayor unless a sitting councillor resigns to make space.

The ANC in Johannesburg is without a mayoral candidate from its top leadership, without a majority, and without a coalition framework until the NEC meeting on Thursday.

The ANC NEC meeting on Thursday is expected to determine the party's formal position on coalition arrangements in Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni.