MK Party rules out DA coalition in Johannesburg, Baloyi says

MK Party Johannesburg mayoral candidate Bongani Baloyi has ruled out entering into a coalition with the Democratic Alliance in Johannesburg if neither party secures an outright majority in the 2026 local government elections.

Firm rejection of DA alliance

Speaking in an interview with 702, Baloyi said

“The DA is a party that we’ll never work with,”

and that the MK Party would set out its positions on other potential coalition arrangements when it unveils its People’s Mandate for Johannesburg in the coming weeks.

Priority: stabilise Johannesburg’s finances

Baloyi said Johannesburg needs a long-term turnaround plan focused on financial reforms, infrastructure maintenance and professional administration to restore residents’ confidence. He identified the city’s cash position and liquidity ratio as immediate priorities and said a funded budget was essential for service delivery.

He argued the city should reconsider how it treats consumer debt and distinguish between households that can afford to pay and those that are struggling. Baloyi said the MK Party was working on a proposal for a social rate to take affordability into account.

Timelines and scope

Baloyi said some measures could begin improving the city’s liquidity within the first 60 days and six months of a new administration, but warned that a full turnaround would take longer. He outlined planning horizons including 60 days, six months, one year and two-and-a-half years, and described the overall effort as a 10-year project to fix the city of Johannesburg.

Administration, services and infrastructure

He said Johannesburg’s governance structures were inefficient and bloated, creating layers that had not delivered required services. Baloyi criticised the tendency to prioritise new infrastructure over maintaining existing assets and linked poor maintenance and service delivery to residents’ unwillingness to pay municipal accounts.

The MK Party would seek to rationalise municipal entities, moving some non-core entities back into user departments, and to strengthen the separation between political leadership and professional administration so the administration can function effectively.

Experience and political journey

Baloyi, who previously served as mayor of Midvaal, said his more than 15 years in local government prepared him for Johannesburg’s challenges. He has previously been a member of the DA and ActionSA, and later started the Xiluva party before joining the MK Party. Baloyi said his political journey had moved across the spectrum and that residents were more concerned about the city’s condition than his past affiliations.

Next steps

He said if elected mayor his administration would first establish the latest state of Johannesburg’s finances and work towards a credible adjustment budget, integrate the party’s manifesto into the city’s plans, improve basic services and strengthen law enforcement. Baloyi said the party’s approach would be guided by an assessment of the city’s current financial and administrative position.