Gayton McKenzie Predicts DA Will Be Biggest Loser in 2026 Coalition Negotiations
- Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie warned the DA could be shut out of major Gauteng metros after the 2026 local government elections
- McKenzie predicted the ANC could build a coalition with ActionSA, the EFF and MK Party, potentially returning Herman Mashaba as Johannesburg mayor
- The PA leader also weighed in on Helen Zille's chances of becoming Johannesburg mayor, dismissing the idea entirely
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SOUTH AFRICA - Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader Gayton McKenzie has made a bold prediction about South Africa's 2026 local government coalition landscape.McKenzie laid out a scenario in which the Democratic Alliance (DA) ends up on the outside looking in when coalition deals are struck in Gauteng's major metros.
According to Newsday, in an interview, McKenzie said he believes the ANC could form working arrangements with ActionSA, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the MK Party. Under this scenario, the ANC would govern Ekurhuleni, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba would return as Johannesburg mayor, and former Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya could also reclaim her position.
Why the DA could lose its bargaining power
According to McKenzie, excluding the DA from key municipalities would significantly weaken the party's hand within the Government of National Unity (GNU) at national level.
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He argued that the ANC could use its relationships with the EFF and MK Party as leverage whenever friction arises in the national coalition.
McKenzie added that the EFF and MK Party might be willing to reconsider their opposition to the GNU if the DA and Freedom Front Plus (FF+) were removed from the arrangement. Despite this pressure, he believes the DA is unlikely to withdraw from the GNU, largely because of the backing it receives from South Africa's business community.
See X post from Newsday here:
McKenzie on Geordin Hill-Lewis and Helen Zille
The PA leader noted that DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis appeared to be aware of his party's vulnerability and had reportedly begun reaching out to other parties, including the MK Party, to explore alternative coalition options. McKenzie revealed that Hill-Lewis had written to MK Party leader Jacob Zuma and that a meeting between the two of them was also scheduled.
However, McKenzie suggested these moves might be coming too late. He pointed to the fractured relationship between the DA and ActionSA, saying Mashaba had been deeply hurt by past political events and was not likely to move on easily.
On the question of Helen Zille as a possible Johannesburg mayoral candidate, McKenzie was direct.
"Helen Zille will not give Herman Mashaba the accolade of saying he finished her political career. It is not going to happen," he said.
He urged those holding out hope for a Zille mayoral run in Johannesburg to put the idea to rest.
McKenzie meets with Herman Mashaba post elections
Briefly News also reported that McKenzie met up with ActionSA president Herman Mashaba. McKenzie shared the clip on social media, showing himself and ActionSA president Herman Mashaba shaking hands at McKenzie's home, both dressed in casual clothes and relaxed in mood. McKenzie captioned the post with warm words for his guest, congratulating Herman Mashaba and ActionSA on their performance at the local government elections.
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Source: Briefly News
