DA draws coalition red lines as NMB results take shape

Daily Maverick · Andisa Bonani · 2026-11-05 23:15 UTC

With the DA leading the vote count in Nelson Mandela Bay, provincial leader Andrew Whitfield says the party is open to coalition negotiations but will not work with the EFF or MK party. He says good governance and service delivery, rather than positions and power, must guide any agreement.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Nelson Mandela Bay is open to coalition negotiations should it not achieve an outright majority, but will not work with the EFF or uMkhonto Wesizwe party.

The DA has been leading the vote count in Nelson Mandela Bay since Thursday, and as at 10.40pm, with 73% captured, its share of the vote stood at 41.04 as counting continued, followed by the ANC with 27.52% and the EFF sitting on 5.33%.

The South African Communist Party (SACP), contesting local government elections independently for the first time, had secured 3.95% of the vote by 10pm, making it the fourth-largest party in Nelson Mandela Bay.

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