Can South Africa Still Be Governed? The Coalition Crisis Before the 2026 Local Elections

South Africa is heading into the 2026 local government elections and for the first time, coalitions are not a surprise. They are the main event. Mike Sham unpacks whether South Africa can still be governed, why the ANC is facing another historic defeat, why the DA may benefit from local government credibility, why MK remains a wildcard, and why unstable coalitions have destroyed service delivery in major cities. The real question: can municipalities become functional enough to attract investment, create jobs and deliver basic services? Chapters 0:00 Can South Africa still be governed? 0:17 Sponsor: Pace Car Rental 0:42 The burning question before 2026 0:56 South Africa’s pre-planned coalition election 1:14 Why coalitions have a bad reputation 1:48 The 2016 local election turning point 2:01 Ten years of coalition experience 2:11 Will coalitions improve service delivery? 2:22 The 4 November local government election 2:34 Is the ANC heading for historic defeat? 3:01 New SRF polling shocks the country 3:30 ANC support in Joburg, eThekwini and Tshwane 3:32 ANC’s urban collapse after 2021 4:00 Anti-ANC sentiment spreads to towns and villages 4:35 ANC campaign silence and no mayoral candidates 5:05 Ramaphosa, Phala Phala and unpopular policies 5:33 ANC response to illegal immigration fails 6:01 Unemployment becomes the ANC’s biggest problem 6:48 Can the DA win outright? 7:01 DA not winning — just not losing 7:20 Local government is the DA’s sweet spot 8:03 Helen Zille and the Joburg campaign 8:07 DA scandals and John Steenhuisen fallout 9:09 DA’s biggest coalition problem 9:22 MK as the 2026 wildcard 9:47 Why MK may not repeat 2024 10:00 MK chaos and Jacob Zuma’s son 10:35 MK polling in eThekwini and Joburg 10:41 Can MK form coalitions? 11:03 eThekwini and the KZN government of provincial unity 11:31 Why eThekwini may be more stable than expected 11:34 Why coalitions fail 12:08 Politicians, egos and weak systems 12:39 Coalition law reform and no-confidence motions 13:05 Thresholds and keeping tiny parties out 13:07 Weak institutions inside metros 13:32 Parties put power ahead of service delivery 13:48 Coalition partners fear each other 14:21 Why successful coalitions can destroy smaller partners 14:47 Corruption inside coalitions 15:31 Why small parties can sell themselves 15:46 What coalition instability means for residents 16:21 Madlanga and the spotlight on corruption 16:41 Parties could be punished for bad coalition deals 17:04 Would investors trust dysfunctional municipalities? 17:29 Cape Town’s unemployment advantage 18:08 Why business chooses functional cities 18:36 Would anyone invest in Ekurhuleni or Nelson Mandela Bay? 19:15 Could coalitions become more stable after 2026? 19:32 Final question: can South Africa be governed? 19:47 Why voters must understand what is at stake 19:58 Closing thoughts Follow @sonacoza on TikTok, Instagram, X, and Facebook Produced by Stream In Studios – https://podcast-room.co.za/ The State Of the Nation is Proudly Sponsored by Pace Car Rental https://www.pacecarrental.co.za/ Use Code : SONA for a discount today!