Salga urges parties to prioritise stability in coalition negotiations

By Johnathan Paoli

The South African Local Government Association (Salga) has urged political parties to put communities ahead of political interests as they prepare to form municipal councils following the 2026 local government elections, warning that unstable coalitions could undermine service delivery.

In a statement on Monday, Salga spokesperson Motalatale Modiba congratulated the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) on the successful administration of the elections but said attention must now shift to establishing stable, capable and accountable municipal councils.

“As political parties move to constitute municipal councils within the prescribed period, Salga urges parties, particularly in hung councils, to put the interests of communities first,” Modiba said.

“Coalition arrangements must promote stability, accountability, effective oversight and continuity in service delivery, rather than lead to political instability that weakens municipal performance,” he added.

Modiba said the incoming councils would oversee the seventh term of democratic local government at a critical