Could ANC abandon DA in coalitions?

And that could form part of this broader deal. And that would be quite an interesting scenario. If you look at a place like Joburg, you would then have an MMC grouping which could be led by Mashaba. You would then have Bongani Baloyi in that. You might have a Lukona Amguni. You would have Dr. Taleng. And it's actually quite an interesting collection of leaders in Joburg. And even though Joburg would lose a Helen Zille, that would still be quite a wide range.

Coalition. And then in Twain, you would have a similar coalition to what you already have. And the benefit there for the ANC is that they exclude the DA from being able to shine and outperform them in local government. And they actually get credit for what happens in the cities, but they don't actually have to take on the lion's share of the work of actually leading those cities. Now, the big interesting question about this is: what would the national implications?

Be of excluding the DA from these coalitions. And one obvious implication could be that the DA would be so dissatisfied with this outcome, because they have done very well in this election, and they are actually the biggest party in these big metros in Gauteng, for instance, that they actually may walk away from the GNU. And that would then leave the possibility for the coalition.

the Tshwane model, let's call it the Tshwane model, to expand not just to other metros in Gauteng, but possibly even into the national government if the DA walks away after being angered by the ANC walking away from them. Or we have an interesting scenario which could be the most South African thing ever, which is that at the national government we have one coalition arrangement, which is the ANC-DA arrangement.

Called the GNU. And in local government, we have a completely different arrangement, which is the Tshwane model, which is ANC, ActionSA, EFF, MK, and other smaller parties. And we may just have this uneasy tension between local power and national power. So there are various scenarios which play out. But should the DA be excluded from the metros, and once again, I hasten to add: I'm not saying what I hope will happen.

I'm trying to analyze what I think will happen or what I think might happen at least as one scenario. If the DA is excluded, that could trigger, in the most extreme scenario, a complete realignment of politics. And I even think about the implications of that realignment. If the DA walks from the GNU, would President Ramaphosa still be the president to lead a coalition of EFF, MK?