IEC Declares South Africa's 2026 Municipal Elections Free and Fair After Final Count
- IEC Chairperson Mosotho Moepya officially validated the 2026 local government elections at the Results Operations Centre in Midrand on Sunday
- Approximately 14.9 million South Africans cast their votes in the country's seventh democratic local government poll
- The final results revealed that 139 of 213 municipal councils produced no outright winner, raising the prospect of widespread coalition negotiations
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SOUTH AFRICA — South Africa’s 2026 Local Government Election vote has received official endorsement from the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), confirming the outcome as free and fair following the finalisation of vote tallies.
According to SABC News, IEC Chairperson Mosotho Moepya delivered the declaration at the Midrand Results Operations Centre on Sunday night, concluding the country's seventh local government elections. Official figures show that approximately 14.9 million voters participated.
In his address, Moepya commended the strength of the nation’s democratic framework, pointing out that protecting electoral integrity requires safeguarding both physical voting tokens and the digital information landscape. He added that balloting took place in a calm environment and referenced findings from the 2026 Elections Satisfaction Survey to reinforce the commission's evaluation.
Final results of 2026 LGE
The African National Congress (ANC) maintained top standing nationwide, gathering 30.76% of the vote and securing 3,246 seats. The Democratic Alliance (DA) held second position with 24.64%, while the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party made a substantial entry into local administration, taking 9.77%.
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Outright majorities were achieved in only 74 of the 213 contested councils nationwide. The ANC claimed sole control in 53 municipalities, whereas the DA secured 12. The remaining 139 councils returned non-majority outcomes, prompting cross-party coalition talks to establish local executive structures for the upcoming five-year term.
Hung councils dominate LGE
In a related article, Briefly News reported on South Africa’s 2026 local government elections, where hung councils and the ANC’s record-low performance are shaping the results.
With smaller parties poised to influence coalition talks, the balance of power in several major metros remains uncertain as vote counting continues.
Source: Briefly News
