Developing story: the ANC's national executive committee is still to settle the party's coalition approach, and talks between parties are only starting.

The ANC will not attend a Council of the Left meeting on Wednesday, secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has confirmed, as parties begin the scramble to form governments in councils where no party won a majority.

"We have not attended the left party meeting before, and we will not attend it now," Mbalula said. The meeting is expected to bring together the SACP, the EFF, the MK Party and other left-leaning parties to discuss the way forward on coalitions after last week's local government elections.

Where the ANC stands

The ANC took just over 30% of the vote nationally, according to final results, and Mbalula has described that outcome as catastrophic. He said the party could not carry on as before, and that its approach to coalitions would not be one size fits all.

Mbalula leads a coalition task team that includes Parks Tau, Enoch Godongwana and Gwede Mantashe. The party has centralised negotiations, leaving provinces and regions with little say. Mbalula said the ANC's 2024 coalition framework, drafted when the party stood at about 40%, would be revisited. He also said the ANC remains dominant in 128 municipalities.

Opposition benches and minority governments

ANC deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane said the party is considering opposition benches or minority governments in some councils, and that the national executive committee will decide the options. She said the ANC was not entering the coming week intending to distort the electoral outcomes, but to ensure stability and accelerate service delivery.

The ANC's national executive committee is due to meet on Thursday, where the coalition task team is expected to present options.

What other parties are saying

The MK Party and the EFF have both said they are willing to work with the ANC, while the ANC remains in the Government of National Unity with the DA. MK negotiator Dali Mpofu said "hardcore talks" are expected later this week. The IFP's national executive was set to meet on Monday to form a coalition-talks team, and the SACP leadership was due to review its results the same day.

New councils have 14 days from the declaration of final results to be constituted, so the coming fortnight is likely to be dominated by negotiations.

What we do not yet know

It is not yet clear what options the ANC's national executive committee will adopt, whether the party will hold bilateral talks with the SACP, EFF and MK outside the Council of the Left, or which councils it is prepared to lead. Statements attributed to party leaders here come from public remarks and have not yet been confirmed with the parties.