IEC Orders Recounts in Five Wards Amid Election Objections

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has ordered recounts in five wards across the City of Tshwane and Mangaung following objections to the 2026 local government elections. The recounts affect wards 97 and 192 in Tshwane and wards 4, 12 and 19 in Mangaung. This development comes as the commission works towards declaring the final results on Sunday.

IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya said the commission had received 197 objections by 3 pm. Of these, 54 had been dismissed, 8 withdrawn and 2 upheld. The commission was still considering the remaining objections, with Moepya warning that provisional results and the seats allocated to political parties could change once all objections had been determined.

Moepya reminded contestants and the public that “results remain provisional until all objections have been determined by the commission”. He explained that the IEC could uphold an objection either before or after election results had been officially declared. Before the declaration, the commission may decide that votes cast at a particular voting station should not count, either in whole or in part or that votes allocated to a party or candidate should be adjusted.

The commission outlined the process followed when an objection is found to have merit. The commission communicates its findings to the objector and the Chief Electoral Officer, who then arranges a political liaison meeting in the affected area. Results slips are reprinted and political parties are given an opportunity to send agents to observe the recount.

Once the votes have been recounted, the result slips are completed, signed, and entered into the system. The commission would also ensure that affected parties were informed and able to participate through their agents. The recounts are therefore part of the formal process for resolving objections and determining whether reported results require correction.

At the time of the briefing, results processing had been completed in the Free State, Mpumalanga, Northern Cape, Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Limpopo. Processing was still outstanding in the City of Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni in Gauteng, Rustenburg in North West, and Msunduzi and eThekwini in KwaZulu-Natal.

The IEC is scheduled to officially announce the 2026 local government election results on Sunday, 8 November, at 6 pm. The declaration will provide a clearer picture of seat distribution across municipalities and set the stage for political parties to begin coalition negotiations in councils where no party has secured an outright majority.

Key points

• The IEC received 197 objections to the 2026 local government elections by 3 pm, with 54 dismissed, 8 withdrawn and 2 upheld.
• Recounts have been ordered in five wards across the City of Tshwane and Mangaung.
• The commission expects to conclude processing of outstanding results by Saturday evening.