Local Elections 2026: Spies eyes Tshwane as FF+ could deny the DA its majority dream

Tshwane, South Africa's second-largest city, appears to be the stage for an intense local election battle in 2026, with the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) potentially denying the Democratic Alliance (DA) its desired majority. Currently, the DA leads the polls in the city, but this lead may not be enough to secure a solid majority, as the FF+ is rapidly growing in popularity.

The FF+ saw a significant surge in its voting share during the 2021 local government elections, more than quadrupling its support from 1.99% in 2016 to 7.87%. This surge saw the FF+ gain 17 seats on the 214-member council, while the DA's support and seats fell from 43.15% and 43, respectively, to 32.03% and 21. The party's growth has been part of a broader national trend, with the FF+ winning 2.34% of the national vote in 2021, up from 0.77% in 2016.

The DA's candidate for Tshwane mayoralty, Cilliers Brink, aims to change his approach following his turbulent tenure as the city's executive mayor from 2022 to 2024. Brink pledged to prioritize clearer rules, stronger partnerships, and principled coalition management to ensure stable governance.

On the other hand, Willie Spies, the FF+ Tshwane mayoral candidate, is making a political comeback after over 15 years in legal practice. Spies served as an FF+ MP from 2004 to 2009 and has described his return to politics as a response to the changing dynamics of South African politics. He argues that smaller parties have more leverage in coalition politics than they did during the ANC-DA dominance.

While the DA remains favored by most polls, the FF+'s growing support could enable it to secure an outright majority if they partner with the DA. However, the DA's lead could be diminished if the FF+ takes a significant share of the DA's vote, making an outright DA majority harder to achieve.