It is mayorship or nothing for UDM deputy president, member of parliament and the party's mayoral candidate in Buffalo City Metro, Nqabayomzi Kwankwa.
Kwankwa has told the Daily Dispatch that his future in the city depends on the ongoing coalition talks between the UDM and other opposition parties, who have a common quest to wrestle majority control of the city from the ANC.
While there was no outright winner in the elections in the metro, with the ANC failing to acquire a 50% plus one majority, the UDM became the city's second most popular party.
It garnered an impressive 18.39% of the vote, surpassing both the DA and the EFF, in possibly becoming the official opposition in the metro.
The UDM, which previously had one seat in council, was voted in by 91,460 voters, giving the party 16 proportional representative seats and three ward councillor seats in the 100-member council.
The ANC won 42 seats, down from more than 60 seats.
The DA came in third, with 16.85% of the vote, which gave them a total of 17 PR and ward councillor seats in the metro, with the EFF obtaining 6.79%.
This election's surprise package, the SACP, obtained 4.45%, which comes with five council seats.
With the ANC only obtaining a 41.93% vote, the UDM was hoping to capitalise by joining forces with other parties to attain a majority in the city, a move that was to pave the way for Kwankwa to annex the mayoral chain from the ANC.
With coalition talks still ongoing, Kwankwa said his future in the city would only be determined by a positive outcome in the talks, which could lead to him being anointed as the city's new mayor.
While Kwankwa confirmed on Wednesday that his party had been engaged in talks with various political parties represented in BCM, he confirmed that plans to join forces with the SACP, had hit some hurdles.
"We have spoken to the SACP and they had agreed in principle to work with us in Buffalo City Metro.
"However, after the results had been declared on Sunday, our numerous attempts to get hold of them did not materialise as they no longer took our calls.
"We had planned to join forces with them and other small political parties so we could attain a majority in BCM and thus rule the city with the ANC in opposition benches.
"However, we then heard through social media that the SACP is now planning to work with the ANC, a move which can hamper our ambitions of winning control of this metro," a disappointed Kwankwa said.
He, however, said further talks with political parties were on the cards so they could attain the majority in the metro.
Failing which, Kwankwa said, he would be forced to vacate his PR seat in BCM, and go back to his old job in parliament as UDM MP.
"We have not lost hope yet, as further negotiations will still take place.
"But I am disappointed by the SACP, after they had initially promised to work with us in BCM," he said.
Kwankwa said he had made it clear to his party long before the elections that he would return to his seat int the National Assembly as UDM MP if he failed to broker a deal that would see him donning the mayoral chain in BCM.
"It can still happen as negotiations are still ongoing.
"But I had been honest from the outset and had made it clear to our membership that if I do not become a mayor of BCM, I will not be able to stay. I will have to return to parliament," Kwankwa said.
Unconfirmed word around political corridors in the city is that the ANC, EFF and the SACP might join forces in BCM, giving them a total of 54 council seats and thus the majority control of council, leaving the UDM on opposition benches.
The ANC's DR WB Rubusana regional secretary Anele Lizo this week did not confirm these rumours, except to confirm that they might work closely with their alliance partner, the SACP.
Lizo said party negotiations for the metro would be handled by their national bosses and that the ANC's national executive committee meeting held on Thursday would give guidance on how coalition talks should be handled.
The EFF elections co-ordinator in BCM, Mziyanda Hlekiso, and SACP provincial secretary Xolile Nqatha could not be reached for comment on Thursday.
On Thursday, the SACP commenced with a consultative "conference of the left" with other like-minded political parties such as the EFF and MKP, where they were also expected to discuss coalitions.