Small parties, big stakes: council failures set the stage for 2026

Microparties wield major clout through coalition backdoor deals. But the local elections will decide if residents are now too fed up for them.

- By Victoria O'Regan

The political instability that has roiled Northern Cape's Thembelihle Local Municipality since the formation of a coalition government in the 2021 municipal elections resembles the dysfunction that has doomed many coalition-run municipalities across South Africa.

In the 11-seat council, the balance of power has not rested with the largest parties. Instead, it has resided with the Siyathemba Community Movement (SCM), a one-seat microparty that has managed to occupy the mayorship after a series of twists and turns in coalition politics.

Small political parties emerged as key players in the 2016 local government elections, where they were confirmed as kingmaking local actors, Daily Maverick reported. In the 2021 elections, a confluence of voter dissatisfaction with South Africa's main political parties, matched with the reality of no big, viable alternative, resulted in several microparties gaining major representation in local councils.

Many of these municipalities have experienced frequent turnovers and change in the four years since the local government elections. Residents are often the biggest losers, with the political instability in these coalitions making it difficult for service delivery to proceed. Johannesburg is perhaps the most clear-cut example of a council that has experienced ongoing political realignment, and where its residents pay the highest price.

Research from the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (Mistra) has found that the frequent political realignments in local coalitions have obfuscated accountability and responsibility.

When residents face water shortages, power cuts or collapsing infrastructure, it's become increasingly difficult to know which party is responsible.

This begs the question: how will this affect voters' decisions in the 2026 polls? Will this pattern of microparties' influence in local government continue, or will voters decide to return to bigger parties?