The moments worth hearing, as they happen.

MK could govern all of KZN with IFP if ANC opens door

A commentator says the ANC treating the DA as last resort in eThekwini could let MK, IFP and ActionSA form a coalition and divide KZN's municipalities.

“There will be exceptions in different places. But let's stick with the metros and let's go to probably the next most important and most uncertain, and that is Ethekwini.”

Commentator: ANC's GNU shift may signal Ramaphosa's grip is slipping

A commentator asks whether the DA will walk out of the GNU and says the NEC decision cuts against Ramaphosa's signature project.

“Left out other parties before, and so those who live by the sword die by the sword. Now, let us move on though to the national implications of this in the third part.”

Hill-Lewis and Mashaba meet: could DA, ActionSA and FF+ lock the ANC out of Joburg?

An SMWX analyst unpacks a photo of the DA and ActionSA leaders meeting and the council arithmetic for a Johannesburg coalition without the ANC.

“Geordin Hill-Lewis meeting with ActionSA's president Herman Mashaba. Now, ActionSA and the Democratic Alliance are two parties that have a very storied rivalry. I liken them to the Hatfields and the McCoy's.”

Why opting out of government could be a lethal gamble for the ANC

An SMWX analyst argues that if the ANC sits out coalitions, its patronage networks could collapse and a recovering government could cement its corruption image.

“As a potential negotiating partner, removed McConto West Cisware Party, the IFP, and the PA but the vice versa of that is that, or rather, let me say the other side of the coin that exists in such a combination is that…”

Matlala likens Bheki Cele to a jukebox: put in money to get service

A commentator recaps Kat Matlala's testimony: a R200,000 handover to Cele via Mabonga, a R500,000 request, and a jukebox joke at the Madlanga Commission.

“That on the day that Matlala's plea, he was supposed to go plead in court, the day the plea deal fell apart, he misled IDAC investigators, including Johnson, that he was going to accept the plea when he knew he wasn't.”

Zille's lawyers answer Malema's demand: 'No. See you in court'

After Helen Zille's ENCA remarks on Herman Mashaba and the EFF, her attorneys rejected Julius Malema's retraction demand in a terse letter.

“And in her response about her relationship with Herman Mashaba, she mentions Julius Malema and how Herman Mashaba was an EFF may. And I want to play you a clip of this interview where Helen Zille makes these remarks.”

Host: Matlala blames IDAC for every incriminating line in his statement

A commentator says Kat Matlala blames IDAC for incriminating parts of his Section 204 statement and dodges questions using privilege and safety fears.

“You know, as that summarizes the day at the Madlanga Commission, particularly Vusimuzi Matlala's testimony, my thoughts is: you know, we've been very critical of IDAC.”

Commentator: Mbeki has a point, ANC vote halved under Ramaphosa-era leadership

An SMWX commentator backs Thabo Mbeki's critique, citing weak GDP growth, rising unemployment and the ANC falling from 62% to near 30%.

“I want to talk about firstly why I think President Mbeki has a point. I know he's been attacked a lot for what he said, but I think he speaks for many people when he points out the failures of the last decade or so.”

Mashaba: my relationship with Zille broke years ago, I won't work with her

Herman Mashaba says he will work with anyone, even the ANC, but not with Helen Zille, whom he calls dishonest.

“My relationship with Helen Zille broke many years ago, and I'm at a stage where I don't want anyone to tell me I must repair it. I don't work with dishonest people.”

ANC has no good options: DA deal risks electoral ruin, Tshwane model risks GNU

An SMWX analyst argues the ANC is torn between an ANC-DA grand coalition and a Tshwane-style deal with ActionSA, EFF and MK in the metros.

“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.”

Matlala owned claims about others but disowned his own role, analyst says

An SMWX analyst sums up Matlala's Madlanga testimony: selective concessions, the 50,000 rand question, and who he is afraid of.

“And so on and so on. Now, what's left here? Let's actually do a quick summary. What's left here is a few questions that are left to be answered, and that is: was the plea deal statement true?”

Matlala says Sibiya's friend Kabonga took him to deputy minister's home

Questioned at the Madlanga Commission, Kat Matlala said Serge Kabonga drove him from Cafe 41 to a deputy public works minister's residence.

“You met General at the time, Sibiya's friend, at Cafe 41. Yes. The paragraph doesn't say you met General Sibiya. The paragraph says he was going to send his driver to fetch you. That's what I want to explain.”

Madlanga tells Matlala he can't hide behind self-incrimination privilege

Commissioner Madlanga, citing a Constitutional Court ruling, told Matlala he must show how an answer would breach privilege before refusing.

“And I want to play a clip of what he had to say here because he lays the legal foundational basis as to why a witness at the commission has to render the full truth to the commission and why, in Matala's case, he…”

Matlala's lawyer stalls Madlanga Commission again with plea-deal arguments

After 26 days away, the Commission rejected Matlala's lawyer's plea-deal objection, but she then demanded in camera testimony and an urgent review.

“But as we park the elections for now, Katmatala is the witness of the day at the Madlanga Commission.”

ANC: 'we have been weighed in the balance' and must go home and fix its house

At a post-election briefing the ANC says voters have judged it, accepts the verdict with humility and vows to rebuild from the branch upward.

“The people have spoken, and we must have the humility to hear all of what they have said. We have been humbled, directed to do better, to do even more introspection. We hear you. What is it that we hear?”

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ANC won't go 'cap in hand' for mayorships, says no deal-cutting

An ANC briefer says the party will not beg for mayoral posts and will follow a national doctrine on coalitions rather than local deals.

“About talks. There is no formal position of the ANC at the present moment that guide us getting into discussions. But we will not negotiate with anyone with a cap in the hand begging.”

ANC official: we saw this disaster coming, polls said 4%

An ANC briefer calls the local election result catastrophic, saying internal polls predicted a collapse and the middle class turned on the party.

“We are in the business of serving our people. And if anyone has not heard what the people are saying through this election, then we are lost. This has been a very catastrophic outcome for the ANC.”

Whither Ramaphosa: stay, go or hand ANC reins to an interim leader

SMWX analysts debate Ramaphosa's future after the local election, weighing Phala Phala, the Madlanga report and an interim ANC leader.

“Whither Cyril Ramaphosa, what happens with our beloved president? Because where does he go from here? I almost feel like staying on hurts him more than resigning, but he can't resign now.”

DA holds all the cards: early election could be its trump play

SMWX analysts say Parliament could dissolve by simple majority from May next year, giving the DA leverage over the ANC in coalition talks.

“Yeah, yeah, exactly. So 43% there. So they, I mean, they should get the mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay in this deal. Then they get either Joburg or Twain. But they can't have both. No one can have both.”

Hosts warn ANC could implode if shut out of metros and patronage dries up

SMWX analysts argue losing mayors, MMCs and councillor jobs could trigger a rebellion inside the ANC, with Gauteng the flashpoint.

“ANC is desperate now. Because can I just bring in another scenario, right? What if there's an ANC implosion?”

Malema's 100-day plan: drill boreholes in EFF councillors' yards

At a post-election briefing, the EFF leader says the party will pour resources into its 37 wards, starting with boreholes and taps.

“When the councillor of the EFF is there, let's drill a bowhole inside the yard of the councillor, put all the facilities inside the yard of the councillor, then take a tap out.”

Malema snaps at reporters over claims EFF decline is personal

At a post-election briefing, the EFF leader brushes off questions about links to controversial figures and attacks journalists' questions as stupid.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Malima. I'll far here from eyewitness news in 702. Mr. Malima, over the past few months, whatever messages presented at the Madlanga Commission and evidence in court or affidavits in court have…”

Tshwane mayor Moya: irregular spend cut from R450m a quarter to R7m

ActionSA's Nasiphi Moya says infrastructure is her obsession and outlines new consequence management after the Madlanga Commission revelations.

“For context, she's currently the mayor of Tshwane, and ActionSA just had a really strong election, becoming the second biggest party in Tshwane. Let's see what she had to say.”

ANC holds outright majority in just 48 of 213 councils, host says

An SMWX host tallies council results: ANC has 48 outright majorities, DA 11, IFP 5, MK 3, so over half of councils need coalitions.

“This is interesting to me because the third biggest party in terms of actual councils and outright majorities is the IFP, bigger than MK.”

Host proposes ANC-DA-ActionSA deal to split all eight metros

An SMWX host sketches a three-party global deal: DA gets four metros, ANC three, ActionSA one, including Tshwane or Joburg.

“ANC, DA, ActionSA, and let's have a look at all eight metros and let's do a global deal. And if you do that, what you come up with is quite a fascinating picture because I would say that the DA could walk away with…”

Hill-Lewis's Cape Town majority becomes a do-or-die test for DA's 2029 ambitions

An SMWX reporter says the DA's Cape Town win must now be used to tackle cost of living, with a 2029 national push ahead.

“When we set our eyes on the city of Cape Town, it is a dominant win for the Democratic Alliance with them being the dominant party.”

122 hung municipalities as ANC loses its place at the table

An SMWX reporter says the DA leads five of nine metros and 122 councils are hung, so some coalitions may not need the ANC.

“Zileng Gadimeng and we are coming to you here live at the third day at the Results Operations Center where the picture around what South Africa's future in its municipalities looks like has become a lot more clearer.”

ANC top seven weigh DA coalition versus metro 'GNU' as insurance

An SMWX reporter says the ANC's top seven debated governing directly with the DA in metros or forming a broader unity-style coalition.

“We have received information that the ANC did meet with its top seven officials last night, where there was a deep discussion within the African National Congress around whether or not the ANC should go into coalition…”

Analysts fear DA and ActionSA snub could hand Tshwane's EFF a veto

SMWX analysts say DA and ActionSA could govern Tshwane comfortably but showed no warmth, while the EFF risks drifting into virtue signalling.

“Because you'd expect without Silias here, at least someone from the DA would try to make inroads with ActionSA. But Nicks, it seems they walked past each other.”

Why MK's slide is hard to judge: Zuma's absence and uncounted votes

SMWX analysts weigh whether MK is declining, citing Zuma's ill health, voters who stayed home or shifted, and the 8% still to be counted.

“When they initially came out, it seems like they were able to get traditional ANC voters to cross the line, to move away from ANC on the ticket of you're still voting for ANC, like we'll be right back.”

ActionSA targeted disillusioned ANC voters and caused a tremor in Tshwane

SMWX analysts say ActionSA changed its strategy, courting disillusioned ANC and MK voters, making it the election's breakout star.

“And I think it's a conversation that ties back to the one we had earlier with Tara when she was in this chair: that ActionSA is trying to assume the position that consumes the largest untapped well of political support…”

DA passes 1,000 councillors and claims a million new black voters

A DA national spokesperson says the party has passed a thousand councillors and is now the third-biggest party by black support.

“You have just surpassed having a thousand councillors representing the Democratic Alliance. What does that feel like? What is the impact of that tangibly on the DA's mission right now?”

ATM: coalitions fail without a program of action and written deal

ATM leader Vuyo Zungula says unstable coalitions lack a program of action and a written, public agreement, and urges voters to demand them.

“So we've observed how the coalitions have been working from 2021 or 2016 in some cases.”

Gayton McKenzie: ANC can rescue the DA, and Mashaba won't hand Zille Joburg

PA leader Gayton McKenzie says the ANC must choose whether to back the DA, calls the DA hard to work with and rejects a Zille mayoralty in Johannesburg.

“So, congratulations. Well, I'm over the moon. We always said that we want to double our support. That was our line. We did. Double our support. When I mean double our support, I mean seats. We want to double our seats.”

ANC drops 13 points in Joburg as DA surges to 34.6%

An SMWX host compares 2021 results with CSIR projections for Johannesburg, showing the ANC falling to 20.1% and the DA rising to 34.6%.

“And I want to start off with Joburg because that's a very interesting picture that we've been seeing. In Joburg in 2021, the ANC was sitting at 33.6% and the largest party in that council.”

Councils have 14 days to elect mayors or face dissolution

An SMWX host explains that after results are declared, councils have 14 days to elect a speaker and mayor, or the province steps in.

“Another thing about where we're moving from here is that once the results are declared, which we're estimating to be either on Saturday, tomorrow, or Sunday, the legislation allows a 14-day window for leadership to be…”

SMWX host: SACP's first-ever showing is a surprise, not ANC votes

An SMWX host reads CSIR projections in Nelson Mandela Bay and Tshwane, and says the SACP is outperforming expectations in its first election.

“81% of votes have been counted as of this morning.”

UDM projected to be Buffalo City's second-largest party

An SMWX host reads CSIR projections showing the UDM surging in Buffalo City behind the ANC, with the DA close behind.

“And I'm going to come to one of the most shocking results out of this entire electoral cycle. And these figures are coming from the Eastern Cape, where I'm sure you know, if you've been watching SMWX and you've been…”

An SMWX presenter says CSIR projections put ActionSA at 5% nationally and strong in Joburg and Tshwane, as the ANC slides toward 20% in Joburg.

“So I want to come into some of the actual metros now and let us start with what we are seeing in Gauteng. Now, we don't have CSIR projections yet, but by all indications, we are seeing an ANC collapse around Gauteng.”

SMWX host warns ANC: Ramaphosa leaves party at 31% from 62%

An SMWX presenter says the election is a body blow to Ramaphosa's legacy and the Madlanga Commission shocked voters into rejecting the ANC.

“You will no longer be the biggest party in South Africa in 2029 unless you take radical steps to improve the lives of people, to govern right, and to get your house in order. But I mean, even saying those.”

CSIR projects ANC below 50% in Eastern Cape and Limpopo heartlands

An SMWX presenter reads fresh CSIR provincial projections showing the ANC losing its majority in Eastern Cape and slipping in Limpopo.

“Let's have a look at the Eastern Cape, the ANC's heartland. The ANC is kind of, it's almost its birthplace, not technically, but so many of its important leaders have come from the ANC. Look at this.”

Zille: Joburg so broke it may need a finance ministry bailout

DA mayoral candidate Helen Zille says Joburg's finances are so bad it may ask the finance minister for a bailout, and lists fixes.

“We might well have to ask the finance minister for a bailout. Joburg is that bankrupt and that broke. If it's in that type of a position, where do you even start your recovery efforts? Say the arrangements.”

ActionSA's Beaumont: SA moving to era of performance-based voting

ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont says voters are rejecting the same parties and urges that failing parties, including his own, be kicked out.

“But where I think we must celebrate as a country is we're moving to an era of performance-based voting.”

ANC's Mantashe: electricity access rose from 34% to 95% since 1994

ANC national chair Gwede Mantashe defends the party's record, saying access to electricity and water has expanded greatly over 32 years.

“I always remind people that in 1994, only 34% of South Africa had access to electricity. Today, it's 95% that has access to electricity. People ignore that because they have the electricity.”

ANC's Lutuli House takes over coalition talks, eyeing 2027 conference

An SMWX presenter says ANC headquarters is telling regional leaders it will handle coalition talks, as Gauteng's Lesufi faction resists working with the DA.

“Now, one thing that is for sure: the ANC is playing a game that is not determined on the basis of these outcomes, but is determined on the basis of what is advantageous to the specific political factions going into the…”

Podcaster: ANC could keep just one metro, Buffalo City, in local polls

An SMWX host says the ANC's decline continues and it may hold only Buffalo City among eight metros, with a 30% to high-30s national share.

“By all indications and by all the polls, it looks like the ANC and its precipitous decline is continuing. And this election will tell us the extent of that decline. Could they fall close to 30%?”

Podcaster's conspiracy theory: Jordan needs Cape Town, then Winde swaps in

An SMWX podcaster predicts the DA will land on the cusp of 50% in Cape Town and speculates about a Winde-for-Jordan swap before 2029.

“And my side conspiracy theory is that's what Jordan needs to govern the city for about two years or so.”

Podcaster bets producer a shaved head that DA tops Joburg

A podcaster predicts the DA as biggest in Joburg at 34% with the ANC on 22%, and a hung council that could favour a Mashaba-led coalition.

“The ANC will be the biggest party in Joburg. I said it's going to be the DA. One of us has to shave all our hair and our beard on the day when the results are made final.”