Developing story: the IEC is due to declare final local election results at 6pm on Sunday, and coalition positions may shift once the numbers are confirmed.
The EFF has called on the ANC to reconsider going into coalition with the DA, as parties begin the search for governing partners in councils where no party won an outright majority.
EFF leader Julius Malema briefed the media at the IEC's National Results Operation Centre in Midrand on Saturday. He blamed the ANC for the losses suffered by both the EFF and the DA, according to reporting of the briefing.
A call to reconcile
Malema urged the ANC to reconcile with its "lost kids", a reference to the EFF, the MK Party and the SACP, and to take a stance against what he described as their "common political enemies".
Earlier this week Malema described his party's result as "a setback, not a defeat".
The ANC's response
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said the ANC does not yet have a formal view on the EFF's request. He had earlier said the party was in no hurry to settle coalitions.
Why it matters
No party won outright in many councils, and the next two weeks are expected to be dominated by coalition talks. The ANC and DA already govern together nationally in the Government of National Unity, so a decision on partners at local level could carry national political weight.
What we do not yet know
- Whether the ANC will formally respond to the EFF's call once results are declared.
- How the MK Party and the SACP will react to being described as the ANC's "lost kids".
- Which councils the EFF would be in a position to influence once final seat numbers are confirmed.
