Overview
- Local government elections held on Wednesday, November 4 produced a sharp drop in support for the African National Congress, which stands at about 30–31% with 98–99% of votes tallied and remains the largest party.
- The Democratic Alliance is second on roughly 24–24.6% and the uMkhonto weSizwe Party is third with about 9–9.8%, figures that leave about 122 municipal councils without a single-party majority.
- The Electoral Commission of South Africa has received 197 objections, has upheld two that prompted recaptures and recounts, and will make a formal national declaration of results on Sunday, November 8 at 18:00.
- Key metro outcomes are unresolved for governance: the DA won 53 of 120 seats in Nelson Mandela Bay but lacks a majority, and major metros including Johannesburg and eThekwini have outstanding wards and recounts.
- The ANC and the MK Party have lodged multiple formal objections and warned of possible legal challenges, a dispute that could reshape coalition math and affect the delivery of services if councils remain unstable.