ActionSA gains 3.25 points in South African local elections
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on IOL
ActionSA increased its share of the national vote by 3.25 points in South Africa’s local elections, an increase of about 140% compared with 2021. Its KwaZulu-Natal leader, Zwakele Mncwango, criticised pre-election polls and the party could influence several municipal coalitions, IOL reports.
The rise of ActionSA represents an increase of nearly 140% in its share of the vote compared with the 2021 municipal elections, according to IOL. Ipsos’s final national poll before the vote estimated support for the party at about 4%, while its result exceeded the maximum increase of 1.5 points forecast by the survey.
In Johannesburg, Helen Zille’s DA won 35.98% of the vote against 16.2% for ActionSA in provisional results cited by IOL. The DA has a significant lead but remains below the majority needed to govern alone, opening the way for coalition talks.
Helen Zille said she was open to talks with ActionSA, while Herman Mashaba had previously ruled out a coalition with the DA. Zwakele Mncwango, ActionSA’s KwaZulu-Natal leader, said instead that his party was ready to discuss with all parties, including the DA, according to IOL.
ActionSA could therefore take part in negotiations on the governance of Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and potentially eThekwini. The vote comes as the counting of South Africa’s local election results was nearing completion on 7 November, according to previous reports on the elections.
