Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality is heading towards a new political arrangement after the African National Congress (ANC) failed to secure an outright majority in the 2026 local government elections held on Wednesday, 4 November.
According to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) results dashboard, counting has been completed across all 168 voting districts and 34 wards in Enoch Mgijima, with all 68 council seats allocated.
The IEC has classified Enoch Mgijima as a hung council, meaning no single political party has secured enough seats to govern with an outright majority.
The ANC remains the largest party in the municipality, securing 31 seats with 44% of the vote. However, it has fallen four seats short of the 35 required to control the council.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) secured 11 seats with 15.57%, followed by the South African Communist Party (SACP) with seven seats and 10.11%.
The Independents secured six seats with 8.96%, while the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) obtained four seats with 5.36%.
ActionSA and the African Transformation Movement (ATM) each secured two seats.
The Patriotic Alliance (PA), African Independent Congress (AIC), KPA, uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) and HCDF each secured one seat.
What Happens Next?
With no party holding an outright majority, political parties and councillors will need to negotiate arrangements to establish a functioning municipal government.
The ANC, as the largest party, could seek support from other parties to secure the majority needed to govern. However, alternative arrangements involving other parties are also possible.
The outcome of these discussions will play an important role in determining who becomes the municipality’s next executive mayor, speaker and other political office-bearers.
The results will have implications for communities across Enoch Mgijima, including Komani, Whittlesea, Sterkstroom and Molteno.
The incoming council will be responsible for political oversight of municipal services, including electricity, waste collection, roads, infrastructure and municipal finances.
As of 6 November, no coalition agreement or governing arrangement had been confirmed. No mayoral or speaker candidate has been verified, and the date of the first council sitting has not yet been established.
The IEC dashboard reflects 100% completion of the counting and seat-allocation process. The results remain subject to confirmation against the IEC’s formal declaration and final councillor list.
Komani News
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