Patriotic Alliance Rises to Second Place in Western Cape With 58% of Votes Counted

• Early vote tallies show the Patriotic Alliance climbing rapidly through the rankings in the Western Cape
• Political analyst Sanusha Naidu flagged a consistent pattern forming across council and proportional representation figures
• The PA's 2021 local government election position in the Western Cape makes its current standing all the more striking

WESTERN CAPE — Early results from the Western Cape for the 2026 Local Government Elections are pointing to a dramatic surge for the Patriotic Alliance (PA), with the party positioning itself among the top three political forces in the province as vote counting continues.

With 58% of provincial votes tallied on the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) results platform, the PA has climbed to second place provincially and third place within the City of Cape Town.

PA's leap from sixth to second

The shift is particularly striking given the party's standing in the 2021 local government elections, where it finished sixth overall in the Western Cape. Political analyst Sanusha Naidu, drawing on data displayed across the IEC results platform, noted that the trend has remained consistent as both council and proportional representation figures are processed.

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Naidu described the party's sustained second- and third-place finishes across various voting districts as a significant electoral development. She added that even without securing direct ward victories in every area, the PA's overall vote share places it on course to gain meaningful seats on municipal councils throughout the province.

Council seats within reach

The incoming data suggests that the PA's performance, while not necessarily translating into outright ward wins, is strong enough to convert into proportional representation seats across multiple municipalities in the Western Cape.

Naidu's analysis, shared via SABC News, indicated that the pattern emerging from the results points to a broad realignment of voter support in the province, with the PA drawing backing that previously went to other parties.

View the IEC's tweet about the results on X:

Freedom Front Plus wins in Orania

In a related article, Briefly News reported on the Freedom Front Plus’s decisive win at the Orania Town Hall voting station, where it received 405 votes, or 88.82% of the valid vote. The ANC received no votes, while the EFF recorded one.

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Orania’s results reflect the town’s longstanding support for the VF Plus and its Afrikaner cultural identity. The figures come as the IEC continues counting and verifying votes across South Africa’s 23,696 voting districts.

Source: Briefly News