President Cyril Ramaphosa called on political parties to put communities ahead of power as they form new municipal governments, according to SAnews.
He spoke on Sunday at the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) Results Operations Centre in Midrand. The IEC announced the final results of the 2026 Local Government Elections there.
“The stability of our municipalities cannot be sacrificed to narrow political interests. The delivery of essential services cannot be held hostage by political disagreements,” he said.
The President spoke about councils where no party won an outright majority. He said elected members in those places would need to find common ground.
“This is not a weakness of democracy. It is an expression of the choices that the people have made,” Ramaphosa said.
He said talks to form municipal governments must be guided by the public good. He said they should not be a fight over positions, privileges or power.
“The people did not cast their votes so that their representatives could spend the next five years fighting among themselves. They voted because they expect their lives to improve,” he said.
Ramaphosa called for councils to be set up without delay. He asked parties to negotiate in good faith to elect office-bearers so municipalities can start working.
“Budgets must be passed on time. Those elected must find common ground and work together,” he said.
He congratulated the newly elected councillors. He reminded them that they serve in the sphere of government closest to people’s daily lives.
Ramaphosa said their job goes beyond sitting in council chambers. He said they must listen to communities and respond to their needs with honesty.
“The election is now over. The work of serving the people must begin,” he said.
The President said the elections took place while many people face a high cost of living. He also mentioned unemployment, mainly among young people, and poor municipal services.
“They want water to come out of the tap and electricity that works. They want their refuse collected, their parks maintained and their streets safe,” he said of South Africans.
He said elected representatives would be judged on whether their election promises improve people’s daily lives.
Ramaphosa said the revised White Paper on Local Government would give a framework to strengthen the local government system. According to SAnews, the policy aims to improve municipal finances and direct money to infrastructure maintenance.
He said more than 540 political parties and nearly 137 000 candidates took part in the elections. The vote took place in the year marking 30 years since the Constitution was signed into law.
The 2026 Local Government Elections were held on Wednesday, 4 November 2026. Special voting took place on 2 and 3 November 2026.
The IEC announced the final results at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand on Sunday.
Source: this article is based on reporting by SAnews.gov.za. Image: GCIS via SAnews.gov.za. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.