Political parties are preparing for closed-door coalition talks after the African National Congress' (ANC) approval rating fell below 50 percent in Gauteng.
The party, which has led Gauteng since the dawn of democracy, won 35% of the vote, a far cry from the 50.2% it won in the 2019 election.
Discussions with the ANC on the province's future should begin after today's national executive committee meeting.
P
Coalition talks are expected to take place this week, with parties agreeing to work with like-minded parties.
The demands of the smaller parties have yet to be reconciled before entering coalition talks, but some parties believe a shared position will be a key deciding factor.
The Patriotic Alliance (PA) won two seats in the Gauteng provincial legislature.
“We have been saying all along that if you vote to be premier, mayor, president, power has to be shared. That means sharing portfolios. So when we bring up that debate, we are bringing up the issue of the MEC portfolio, which is a post that should be allocated to the Patriotic Alliance,” PA premier candidate Kenny Kunene said.
VIDEO | Palestinian Authority's Kenny Kunene on possible coalition government:
Action SA
Action SA received just 4% of the vote in the province, with the newly formed Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) party coming in fourth.
Action SA's premiership candidate, Funzi Ngobeni, said: “We are grateful to the people who voted for us nationally and in the provinces. In terms of a coalition government, we are part of a multi-party charter and that is our first aim. The National Party will be meeting in the next one or two days.”
Meanwhile, talks are continuing between political parties, including the Democratic Alliance, to chart a way forward.
VIDEO | Former Gauteng Premier Mbazima Shilowa talks about the coalition government: