Unlike previous local elections, 2016 yielded the most dramatic results. Control over three of South Africa's metropolitan municipalities – Tshwane, Johannesburg (Joburg) and Nelson Mandela Bay (NMB) switched hands in one swoop. The African National Congress (ANC) lost power in three municipalities.What has subsequently happened, post 2016, suggests that the shock that greeted the results was simply an introduction into what would become a permanent feature of SA's political landscape.