The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has ordered recounts in five wards in Tshwane and Mangaung due to objections related to the 2026 local government elections. Final results are expected to be declared on Sunday.
Recounts will take place in wards 97 and 192 in Tshwane, and wards 4, 12, and 19 in Mangaung. IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya announced that by 3 pm, the commission had received 197 objections — 54 were dismissed, eight withdrawn, and two upheld. The commission continues to review the remaining objections, with Moepya cautioning that provisional results, along with the allocation of seats to political parties, may change.
Moepya explained that the IEC may uphold objections before or after the results are declared. Prior to the official declaration, the commission can declare votes from specific stations as invalid or adjust the votes assigned to certain parties or candidates. Therefore, figures shown on the IEC’s provisional results platform may still change.
The commission can also amend results after the declaration or refer serious objections to the Electoral Court if unlawful conduct or irregularities are suspected.
When an objection is upheld, the commission informs the objector and the Chief Electoral Officer, who will arrange a meeting in the affected area. Results slips are reprinted, and political parties can send agents to observe the recount. Once the votes are recounted, the slips are signed and entered into the system.
The IEC advised against drawing conclusions from incomplete election statistics, such as voter turnout and spoiled ballots, as these figures are crucial for seat allocation in municipal councils.
By the time of the briefing, results processing was completed in the Free State, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, and Limpopo. However, it was still pending in Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Rustenburg, Msunduzi, and eThekwini.
Moepya stated that the commission aims to complete the outstanding results processing by Saturday evening and urged all stakeholders to allow the commission to finish its work. The official announcement of the 2026 local government election results is scheduled for Sunday, 8 November, at 6 pm. This declaration will clarify seat distribution across municipalities and facilitate coalition negotiations in councils without outright majorities.
