THE wait is almost over.
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South Africans will finally learn the official outcome of the 2026 Local Government Elections when the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) announces the final results at 6pm on Sunday, 8 November.
President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to deliver the traditional keynote address at the National Results Operations Centre at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, Joburg, where political party representatives will also gather for the announcement.
This declaration will officially close the election results process after days of counting, verification and objections. But getting the final numbers won’t necessarily end the political drama.
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The IEC has been handling objections from political parties and independent candidates, with chairman Mosotho Moepya confirming that 197 objections had been received by 3pm on Saturday. Of these, 54 were dismissed, eight withdrawn and two upheld.
The commission also ordered recounts in five wards and an audit in another case after finding that certain objections could have an impact on the results.
“Two [objections] have been upheld. In other words, these two have been found to have an impact or to be material to the outcome of the result,” Moepya said.
He warned that provisional results could still change, depending on the outcome of the objections.
“Seats that are assigned in the provisional results may change because of the decision of the commission in determining an objection,” he said.
The IEC confirmed that results processing was complete in six provinces, with work still outstanding in Gauteng, North West and KZN at the time of Saturday’s briefing.
Attention will now shift to forming municipal governments, especially in councils where no party has secured an outright majority.
Parties will have to negotiate coalition agreements and find common ground on who should lead the municipalities.
Under the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, newly elected councils must hold their first meetings within 14 days after being declared elected.
At these meetings, councillors elect speakers and mayors, setting the stage for the next chapter of the country’s local government politics.
While Sunday’s announcement will reveal the official election results, South Africans will still be watching closely to see which parties manage to join forces to govern their municipalities.
