Local Government Elections 2026

The Department of Social Development is calling for stronger partnerships to improve support for children with disabilities and their families. This comes as South Africa observes Disability Rights Awareness Month under the theme, Creating Multisectoral Partnerships for a Disability-Inclusive Society. The department says its respite care programme, currently being piloted in Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape, is reaching 220 children and their families. Meanwhile, SASSA pays more than 179-thousand Care Dependency Grants monthly to qualifying caregivers. Now to help us discuss this we are joined by Researcher and disability rights advocate at National Council of and for persons with disabilities Dr Siva Moodley.

As the political dust settles, and reality dawns, things are getting much clearer for all those who participated in the 2026 local government elections. While others mourn their losses, several newcomers, such as ActionSA, South African Communist Party, and Umkhonto weSizwe have scored spectacular gains, in the North West. Action SA is now the forth largest party in the province, followed by SACP while MK Party secured the seventh position. SABC News reporter Lebogang Pebe compiled this report.

By Newsbreak Executive Producer, Salma Patel - Newsbreak gets reaction from Al Jama-ah, DLC and political newcomers, ERPM, about winning their seats in eThekwini. 

Residents from several parts of Johannesburg say they are hoping that the votes they had cast during the 2026 local government elections, will bring change for the better in their communities. Communities including Coronationville, Crosby, Robertsham, North Riding, and Diepsloot continue to endure service delivery failures, highlighted by intermittent water outages that have persisted for over eight years in some areas. Senior reporter Sashin Naidoo visited some of these communities and filed this report...

The MK Party has deployed a seven-member team appointed by President Jacob Zuma to talk to other parties, particularly black formations, on building unity and a pro-black programme. Coalition negotiator Advocate Dali Mpofu says the party will enter talks without preconditions and will listen to what others offer, with a focus on service delivery. The party secured close to three million votes nationally, becoming the third largest and took 38 percent in eThekwini. The ANC got 16 percent.on the party's coalition talks Elvis Presslin spoke to MK party Coalition negotiator, Advocate Dali Mpofu...

RISE Mzansi and the GOOD Party say their partnership has secured 23 councillors across 12 municipalities in the local elections. Joint leaders Songezo Zibi and Patricia de Lille met yesterday to reflect on the outcome and thanked voters who braved tough conditions to vote.The parties say only informal coalition talks have taken place so far, with formal discussions set to start later this week. Elvis Presslin spoke to  Makashule Gana, Rise Mzansi Chief Organizer and National Assembly Caucus Whip...

The City of Johannesburg has given political parties and independent candidates 14 days to remove their election posters following the local government elections. The City says failure to comply will result in municipal teams removing the posters, with a penalty of 500 rand per poster. The move is aimed at keeping public spaces clean, protecting municipal infrastructure and ensuring road safety.  Virgil james is the City's spokesperson 

By Newsbreak Executive Producer Salma Patel - Smaller parties are expected to enter into coalition talks with bigger parties in order to run municipalities. In eThekwini, even though the MK Party has 86 seats, it does not hold an outright majority in the 233-seat council. That leads to speculation that the ANC, DA, and IFP could work with other parties like ActionSA, The EFF, VF Plus and other smaller parties to reach the 112-seat total for a majority. If these top six parties in eThekwini decide to work together this could translate to about 126 seats for a Government of Local Unity or GLU. If that does happen, will the GLU stick together? Newsbreak put that question to Political Analyst Dr Lubna Nadvi...

By Newsbreak Executive Producer and SABC News Editor, Salma Patel - Smaller parties react to their results in the Local Government Elections in Ethekwini. We speak to the People's Freedom Party, the Active Citizen's Coalition, the Minority Front and the 1860 NIC Congress. 

As South Africans awaited the outcome of the 2026 Local Government Elections, millions turned to SABC News for reliable results, analysis and projections. Once again, the public broadcaster partnered with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, or CSIR, to forecast election outcomes and help explain emerging voting trends. The collaboration, which spans nearly a decade, combines science, technology and data analytics to make sense of one of the country's most complex democratic processes. Puseletso Mokoena reports.....

With over 130 hung councils emerging from the 2026 local government elections, President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged political parties to approach their coalition talks with maturity and to be guided by what will best serve the people. SABC News reporter Ntebo Mokobo has more 

An Independent candidate that has emerged victorious in ward 2, in Trompsburg under Kopanong municipality has attributed his win to the residents who requested him to contest the 2026 local government elections. Madi Seleka was initially nominated to stand as an ANC candidate but was defeated by another candidate. Seleka says he registered a dispute as he believed votes were rigged in that process but was not successful. The community say they convinced Seleka to contest as an independent candidate after they felt he was cheated during the processes of nomination within the ANC. Makgala Masiteng filed this report...

President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged political leaders to put residents first as coalition talks get underway. Speaking at the Results Operation Centre last night, Ramaphosa said service delivery cannot be held hostage by political differences. He was speaking as parties begin negotiations to form governments in hung municipalities following the local elections. For a wrap on the 2026 municipal elections, Elvis Presslin spoke to Political analyst, Professor Piet Croucamp.

10 suspects are expected in the Douglas Magistrate's Court today for allegedly destroying 100 ballot papers at Bongani Community Hall last week. The IEC says results for Douglas will be withheld until a revote is held. Chairperson Mosotho Moepya says the law allows a revote where ballots are lost or destroyed before counting. The date for the revote will be announced soon, while Hawks investigations continue. For the latest  Elvis Presslin spoke to Northern Cape Hawks spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Tebogo Thebe...

The ANC's loss of electoral dominance has sparked an intense debate about whether this is the beginning of the end or a moment for renewal. Author Yonela Diko argues that the ANC's decline cannot be understood only through governance failures, but also through its inability to shape the broader centres of power in society, while abandoning a tradition of competent leadership that once defined the movement. We now explore whether this represents a temporary setback or a defining crossroads for the ANC with Yonela Diko

With over 130 hung councils emerging from the 2026 local government elections, President Cyril Ramphosa has urged political parties to approach their coalition talks with maturity and to be guided by what will best serve the people. He was speaking at the announcement of the recently concluded local polls at the IEC Results Operations Centre in Midrand, east of Johannesburg last night. The president said parties must rise above their differences and work together for their communities. Ntebo Mokobo has more... 

KwaZulu-Natal has 34 hung municipalities, with no party securing an outright majority, according to IEC. The results show that the uMkhontoweSizwe Party is leading in the province in terms of the overall share of valid votes, but its performance has not translated into outright control of most municipalities. The MKP secured 34-point-31 percent of the valid votes, winning 584 seats and leading in 18 councils. The IFP is leading in 19 councils, the highest number in the province, with 20-point-18 percent of the valid votes and 458 seats. The ANC has received 20-point-28 percent of the valid votes, securing 353 seats and leading in three councils. Nonjabulo Mntungwa-Makamu has the story... 

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While Parliament is yet to pass the Municipal Structures Amendment Bill, widely known as the Coalitions Bill - there are concerns in some quarters about the instability of coalition governments.   This comes as a number of municipalities are hung with no political party securing a majority of the votes cast, following this year's local government elections. Some political parties are also expected to enter into coalition negotiations soon. For more we speak to our reporter  Zara Groenewald.

With more than 98% of the votes counted in the 2026  local government the IEC looks set to release the outcomes tomorrow afternoon. The ANC is still in the lead nationally with almost 31% of the vote, followed by the DA with 24.55 percent  and the MK-party in third place with almost 10% of the vote. This means that parties needs to start looking at coalition government. A coalition government occur when multiple political parties cooperate to form a legislature, usually because no single party won an outright majority. While common in proportional representation systems, the mechanics, stability, and cultural approaches to coalitions vary dramatically across the country. Joining us for this discussion we spoke to Independent political analyst, Raobaka Kalaote, CSIR Engineer Carike Karsten and SABC Research editot Dr Ronesh Dhawraj.

Some observers say that the IEC succeeded in conducting free and fair local government elections in 2026; from voting to counting. This comes a the IEC has just concluded counting of the voting results. For more we spoke to Terry Tselane - Executive Chairman of the Institute of Election Management Services in Africa (IEMSA)

-by Newsbreak's Taresh Harreeparshad. With 98% of voting districts completed- the picture is clear: but the future remains murky. The ANC has slumped further to 30% of the vote share. The DA is growing it's support base across the six of the country's eight metro's. While the MKP makes it's presence felt in it's debut Local Government Elections. Prof. Bheki Mngomezulu helps us make sense of the leaderboard, with about 98% of national results completed.

A number of political parties have stepped into the limelight following the 2026 Local Goverment Elections. While the final, official results are scheduled to be announced by the IEC on Sunday evening (8 November), the star performers of the polls are clear.  While some come as no surprise, such as the DA and arguably ActionSA and the Mkhonto weSizwe Party, others like the South African Communist Party and Patriotic Alliance have blindsided commentators. Senior Political Journalist Busi Bopela reports.

The Electoral Commission (IEC) in Gauteng yesterday deployed more data capturers to speed up the election results capturing process. This after the IEC confirmed it was falling behind in finalizing Joburg's municipal election results due to the sheer volume of ballots being processed. IEC'S Deputy CEO Masego Sheburi says they hope to conclude everything this morning 

eThekwini mayoral candidate for the IFP, Mkhuleko Hlengwa, says the party is open to coalition talks, despite concerns about leadership instability within the MK Party. He adds that no party has been ruled out of negotiations. Hlengwa was speaking to Sakina Kamwendo at the results operations center in Midrand.   

ATM Johannesburg mayoral candidate Vuyo Zungula, speaking to Sakina Kamwendo at the Results Operations Centre in Midrand, says the party has doubled its support compared with the 2021 and 2024 elections.

SABC News Research Editor Dr Ronesh Dhawraj says smaller parties are gaining ground and could play a key role in coalition talks and decisions on who governs certain municipalities. The IEC said 12.5 million registered voters had cast their ballots by 5 pm on Wednesday. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC News Research Editor Dr Ronesh Dhawraj

The Institute of Election Management Services in Africa says by-election results do not always reflect parties' performance in bigger elections, as voter turnout and campaign efforts differ.The IEC says 12.5 million registered voters had cast their ballots by 5 pm on Wednesday.Sakina Kamwendo spoke to the founder and Executive Manager of the Institute of Election Management Services in Africa, Terry Tselane.

By Newsbreak Senior Producer, Taresh Harreeparshad and Shanell Daniel at the ROC in Midrand and Executive Producer, Salma Patel and Tashlan Naidoo at the SABC studio in Durban. 

ACDP Deputy President Wayne Thring says the party is still awaiting results from key metropolitan municipalities where it traditionally enjoys strong support. He admits the party needs to improve its visibility among voters. Elvis Presslin spoke to ACDP Deputy president Thring and Chester Missing at the at the IEC's Results Operations Centre in Midrand, Johannesburg

Listen to this morning's (Friday 6th Nov 2026) hour-long special dual broadcast with AM anchor Mattthew Veeran, alongside Senior Producer Taresh Harreeparshad as they discuss all things Local Government Elections on Results Day 2... 

Election observer and UNISA researcher Advocate Sipho Mantula says South Africa's 2026 local polls are a re-defining moment for local democracy. In an opinion piece, he warns voting is only the beginning and communities must remain as permanent observers of councils. He cautions against unstable coalitions, organised corruption and youth disengagement following Wednesday's municipal elections.  Elvis Presslin spoke to Advocate Sipho Mantula, a researcher at the Thabo Mbeki African School of Public and International Affairs at Unisa and a member of the Unisa Domestic Election Observer Mission...

Election results are still trickling in from Wednesday's municipal elections, with counting continuing at the IEC's Results Operations Centre in Midrand, Johannesburg. Joining us now at the ROC, to unpack the latest numbers, turnout trends and what hung councils will mean for service delivery is Elvis Presslin spoke to political analyst, Hlumelo Xaba...

Political commentators are predicting coalition councils following the highly contested Local Government Elections. As election results continue to trickle in, the former Executive Mayor of the embattled Lekwa Municipality in Standerton, Mpumalanga, Louis Thabethe, has warned against unregulated coalition councils. Thabethe was elected Executive Mayor of Lekwa following the hung municipal council in 2021. He was removed three years later through a vote of no confidence. The smaller parties with which the Lekwa Community Forum had formed a voting bloc later decided to support the ANC. SABC reporter Mthobisi Mkhaliphi spoke to Louis Thabethe about the challenges of multi-party coalitions...

South Africa's election picture is becoming clearer as the count enters a critical phase, with coalition politics set to shape the future of local government in many municipalities. By 3am on Friday, with 68 percent of votes captured nationally, the ANC remained in the lead on 31.72 percent, followed by the DA on 24.94 percent. The MK Party continued its strong showing on 8.74 percent, while the EFF stood at 6.11 percent. KwaZulu Natal remains the key battleground, with the MK Party leading the provincial race and at least ten councils headed for hung outcomes. The Northern Cape has become the first province to complete its count, while the DA looks set to retain outright control of the Western Cape. As counting progresses across the remaining provinces, attention is increasingly shifting from the ballot box to the coalition negotiations that could determine who governs South Africa's municipalities over the next five years. Addressing the media yesterday IEC Chairperson, Mosotho Moepya had this to say

Special Results Day Broadcast with Senior Producer Taresh Harreeparshad and Producer Shanell Daniel LIVE from the IEC National Results Operations Centre, and Producer Tashlan Naidoo at the KZN IEC Results Operations Centre in Durban. 

Newsbreak at 12 noon, a special broadcast with Senior Producer Taresh Harreeparshad and Producer Shanell Daniel LIVE from the IEC National Results Operations Centre and with Executive Producer Salma Patel based in KZN. 

The FF Plus says it is seeing growth in several areas as votes continue to be counted in the 2026 local government elections. Party representative Wouter Wessels says the campaign saw increased voter energy, despite frustrations over ballot papers, long queues and voter registration problems. Sisanda Jonas spoke to FF Plus MP and chairperson of parliament standing committee on auditor general as well as Political analyst Xumelo Xaba 

Political analyst SABC News researcher Maswele Ralibone says early election results point to more hung councils across the country. He says 13 councils are already hung, compared with 70 in 2021In Gauteng, he highlights the DA's early lead in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni, while ActionSA leads in Tshwane. He also notes the EFF's absence from the top three in these municipalities. Elvis Presslin spoke to is Dr Piet Croucamp Political Analyst and Associate Professor, Political Studies and International Relations at the NW University and Maswele Ralebona , SABC News Researcher 

Police in Mpumalanga are investigating a murder after a 57-year-old man was shot and killed outside a voting station in Boikhutso, Bushbuckridge, in the early hours of Thursday morning. The incident happened at around quarter past midnight while a group of people were celebrating outside the station, waiting for the election results. Police say two unknown suspects opened fire before fleeing the scene. The victim was rushed to hospital but was declared dead on arrival. No arrests have been made, and the motive remains unknown.

A number of political party leaders have cast their ballots in different voting stations in Cape Town today at the start of the local government elections 2026. DA leader and the Mayoral Candidate for Cape Town, Geordin Hill-Lewis, voted at Edgemead Primary School while Good Party leader Patricia De Lille voted in Pinelands. Al Jama-Ah President, Ganief Hendricks also cast his vote in Pinelands High School. Meanwhile, NCC leader and MP, Fadiel Adams, cast his ballot in Mitchells Plain, while the FF Plus leader, Corne Mulder, had his vote in Melkbos. Abongwe Kobokana reports. 

Political parties have praised the smooth voting process at their respective voting stations on Wednesday. This as millions of South Africans went out to cast their votes in the local government elections. 546 political parties and over 130 000 candidates are competing for the country's over 10 000 council seats. SABC News spoke to the leaders of the country's opposition parties – the DA, Umkhonto weSizwe, EFF, IFP, FF Plus, ActionSA and the Patriotic Alliance – about the voting process. Sibahle Motha reports...

Listen to this morning's (Thursday 5th Nov 2026) hour-long special dual broadcast with AM anchor Mattthew Veeran, alongside Senior Producer Taresh Harreeparshad as they discuss all things Local Government Elections on Results Day... 

By Newsbreak Senior Producer Taresh Harreeparshad - Well following their astounding performance in the 2024 General Election- a lot of attention has been focused on the possible gains the MKP is expected to make as it plans to make its entry into local government. The part secured 45.35 % of the KZN vote in 2024- the highest share in the province. So, is the MKP open to coalitions- particularly in the eThekwini Metro? MKP first deputy president Duduzane Zuma says at this stage they're keeping coalitions out of their minds...

By Newsbreak Producer Matthew Veeran - As vote-counting unfolds following South Africa's local government elections, political analyst Dr. Lubna Nadvi notes that KwaZulu-Natal's eThekwini and other key regional hubs are unlikely to yield outright majority winners. The MK party and various smaller factions are heavily challenging traditional party strongholds, making complex coalition agreements a strong possibility across eThekwini and surrounding municipalities. Dr. Nadvi joined Newsbreak AM anchor Matthew Veeran for a robust live discussion earlier this morning... 

As election results begin trickling in from various voting stations across the country, attention is also turning to the issues affecting communities. Residents of Motswaledi informal settlement in Soweto say they remain hopeful for change, despite living in an underdeveloped area for nearly two decades.Elvis Presslin spoke to  SABC News reporter Refilwe Mekoa who spend the day yesterday in Soweto, 

South Africa has voted. Twelve-million voters braved rain, cold and long queues yesterday to cast their ballots in the 2026 Municipal Elections, which the IEC has described as largely peaceful despite some disruptions. Counting went through the night into the early hours of this morning, and results are now trickling in. Elvis Presslin spoke to Dr Nkosikhulule Nyembezi , from Election Monitoring  Network