MATJHABENG – The African National Congress (ANC) is heading for a potentially significant electoral setback in Matjhabeng, with the party failing to secure a majority as vote counting for the 4 November 2026 Local Government Elections progresses.

By 12:00 on Friday, 6 November, 127 of the municipality’s 177 voting districts had been counted, with the ANC leading on 36.93% of the vote, representing 47 901 votes.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is following closely in second place with 32.14%, or 41 682 votes, putting pressure on the ANC’s traditional dominance in the municipality.

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) occupy third position with 6.87% (8 915 votes), while the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) has secured 3.99%, amounting to 5 174 votes.

Other political parties collectively account for 20.06% of the votes counted so far, representing 26 022 votes.

No party yet close to governing alone

In terms of the provisional seat allocation, the ANC has secured seven seats, while the DA has one. No other party has obtained a seat at this stage of the counting process.

Matjhabeng Local Municipality has 72 council seats. A party therefore needs at least 37 seats to secure an outright majority and govern alone.

With the ANC currently polling below 40% and the DA maintaining a strong second position, the final results could point towards a coalition-dependent council.

ANC’s support declines from 2021

The provisional figures represent a notable shift from the 2021 Local Government Elections, when the ANC secured 39 council seats with 92 640 votes.

The DA came second with 16 seats and 37 654 votes, followed by the EFF with nine seats and 19,999 votes.

The FF Plus obtained two seats with 5 334 votes, while other political parties collectively secured the remaining six seats.

With 50 voting districts still to be counted, the final outcome remains uncertain. The distribution of the remaining votes and the eventual allocation of council seats will determine whether the ANC can recover ground or whether Matjhabeng will be heading towards a coalition administration.

Note: The figures quoted reflect the results available at 12:00 on 6 November 2026 and are subject to change as counting continues. Check out the live election map here.

ALSO READ: IEC confirms official 2026 local election results to be announced on Sunday