Gareth Cliff Reacts to Chilling Map of Areas Needing Coalitions, Netizens Panic: "We Are in Trouble"

• Broadcaster Gareth Cliff reacted to a map showing the sheer scale of coalition negotiations needed after South Africa's 2026 local government elections
• The Electoral Commission of South Africa announced results showing only 74 of 213 councils returned an outright majority for a single party
• The ANC led with 30.76% of the vote, while 139 hung councils were left requiring coalition governments across the country

South African broadcaster Gareth Cliff left little to the imagination when he responded to a post-election map of South Africa on Sunday, 8 November 2026. His three wide-eyed emojis said everything — the country is staring down a coalition minefield following the 2026 local government elections.

Cliff was reacting to a post by Jordan Griffiths (@JordiGriff), who shared a colour-coded electoral map of South Africa with a simple but striking caption:

"The grey areas. Everywhere that is going to require a coalition."

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The sheer amount of grey blanketing the map clearly gave Cliff, and many others, a moment's pause.

2026 local government election results

Voting took place between Monday, 2 November, and Wednesday, 4 November 2026, with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) confirming 14.9 million of the 29.2 million registered voters cast their ballots — a turnout rate of 52%. The elections were contested by 520 political parties, with 137,000 candidates competing for 10,526 seats across 213 councils.

The ANC clinched the highest share of the vote at 30.76%, securing 3,246 council seats and winning 53 municipalities outright while leading in 128. The DA finished second with 24.64% of the vote and 1,695 council seats, winning 12 municipalities outright and leading in 32. Former president Jacob Zuma's uMkhonto weSizwe placed third, followed by Julius Malema's EFF and Herman Mashaba's ActionSA.

The headline number from the results is a stark one: only 74 of the 213 municipal councils produced an outright majority for a single party, leaving 139 hung councils that will now require coalition governments to function.

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See Gareth Cliff's reaction below:

SA reacts to map of areas needing coalitions

South Africans on X had plenty to say about what lies ahead:

@DENEL1564740 predicted dysfunction:

"This is going to be the biggest mess ever. Nothing will ever get done … at double the price and with less accountability than previously."

@monke4379 saw a silver lining:

"Slowly but surely, step by step, one day is one day when the ANC will finally collapse."

@SlabbertJaydee took a more philosophical view:

"That's what you call democracy!"

@AgentVickers was blunter:

"People go vote for their favourite mafia and wonder why a country fails."

@BigLez710 was not holding back:

"Yeah, nah, we are in trouble. We expect a bunch of useless retarded people to come together and run a whole country."

Mbuyiseni Ndlozi takes a swipe at Julius Malema

Briefly News reported that Mbuyiseni Ndlozi hit back at EFF leader Julius Malema after Malema publicly criticised his decision not to vote in the 2026 local government elections.

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Ndlozi defended his choice as a conscientious abstention, arguing the Constitution protects the right to abstain from voting.

Source: Briefly News