IFP Says No Coalitions Without Workable Deal

The Inkatha Freedom Party said it will not join coalitions without a workable agreement as early results from South Africa's municipal elections came in.

Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Elections

IFP Says No Coalitions Without Workable Deal

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The Inkatha Freedom Party said it will not enter coalitions without a workable agreement as early municipal election results were counted. With 33% of votes counted nationally by 1.10pm on Thursday, the IFP had 3.01% of the vote and 13 seats, while 31 councils were hung.

Why it matters

No party had won outright control of any council in the early count, leaving many municipalities dependent on coalition talks. The IFP's stance signals that its participation in coalitions will hinge on negotiated terms rather than automatic alliances.

With 33% of national votes counted, the IFP held 3.01% of the vote and 13 seats, compared with 11 councils it won outright in KwaZulu-Natal in 2021. Final totals and the outcome of talks in the 31 hung councils were still unknown at the time of the count.

The players

Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP)

A South African political party rooted in KwaZulu-Natal that leads the provincial Government of Provincial Unity.

Mkhuleko Hlengwa

IFP spokesperson and deputy minister of transport who is the party's mayoral candidate in eThekwini.

The details

IFP spokesperson Mkhuleko Hlengwa, who is also deputy minister of transport, made the statement to media at the IEC national results operation centre in Midrand on Thursday afternoon. Hlengwa is the IFP's mayoral candidate in eThekwini, the biggest prize in KwaZulu-Natal, where the party was in third place at 22.2%.

2021: IFP won 11 councils outright in KwaZulu-Natal.
2024: Government of Provincial Unity formed with the ANC, DA and NFP after the elections.
5 November 2026: Hlengwa said the IFP will not govern at all costs.

Big Picture

The IFP's position builds on the Government of Provincial Unity it helped form in KwaZulu-Natal after the 2024 elections, which it now leads. Its conditional approach to municipal coalitions tests whether that provincial partnership model carries over to local councils.

Residents in hung municipalities may see delays in forming local governments while parties negotiate coalitions. Voters in KwaZulu-Natal and eThekwini will see which parties gain control of their councils as final results come in.

The takeaway

Coalition terms, not vote totals alone, will likely determine who governs many South African municipalities. Watch for formal agreements in hung councils as the final results are confirmed.