Mbeki Warns Of Divided Municipal Councils

Former South African President Thabo Mbeki has warned that political divisions and voter uncertainty could leave several municipalities without clear majorities following the 2026 local government elections.

Mbeki said on Wednesday that the growing number of political parties and divisions among voters could result in fragmented councils and municipalities across the country.

Speaking during an interview, he said the election outcome reflected uncertainty among citizens about the direction South Africa and its local governments should take. He said the country needed to examine the reasons behind its political and governance challenges before deciding how to address them.

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Mbeki noted that several problems affecting citizens, including poverty, unemployment and inequality, remained unresolved and had continued to worsen.

“The fundamental thing to do is to ask, is to answer the question you posed, what went wrong,” he said.

The former president added that South Africa must honestly assess its challenges before deciding how to improve governance and allocate resources across national, provincial and local governments. He said the need for answers cut across all levels of government, regardless of whether elections were national, provincial or local.

According to him, the country must identify what went wrong and agree on the steps needed to put South Africa on a better path.

Mbeki also said citizens appeared uncertain about what should happen next, contributing to the possibility of hung councils. He stressed that addressing the country’s challenges would require an honest assessment of its direction and the problems affecting communities.

The former president also commented on the outcome of the United States midterm elections, where Democrats secured victories in both chambers of Congress.

Mbeki said American voters had sent a clear message that they disagreed with the policies and actions of President Donald Trump’s administration over the past two years. He described the Democrats’ performance in the Senate and House of Representatives as a strong statement from the electorate.

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