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ANC in Gauteng objects to local election results

Published

Ongoing: Elections Hot

The ANC in Gauteng says it sent about 35 Section 65 objections to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) before the deadline. The party wants alleged discrepancies in the 2026 local government election results investigated.

The IEC said it had received 197 objections as of Saturday afternoon. It had dismissed 54, and eight were withdrawn. Two were upheld.

The ANC said recounts had already confirmed its wins in seven wards across Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg and Tshwane. It said more outcomes were waiting for official IEC confirmation.

The party said successful challenges must lead to suitable corrective action. It said it was confident in the merits of its submissions. It also said the final results must reflect the will of the people.

Key facts

Who
African National Congress (party that lodged objections in Gauteng); Electoral Commission (body receiving the objections, referred to as the IEC); Independent Electoral Commission (electoral body that received the objections and is to confirm official results)
What
The ANC in Gauteng says it submitted approximately 35 Section 65 objections to the IEC before the deadline, calling for all irregularities to be investigated. The IEC says it has received 197 objections as of Saturday afternoon, with 54 dismissed, eight withdrawn and two upheld.
When
7 November 2026
Where
Gauteng, Ekurhuleni, Johannesburg
Status
Reported

Elections Hot

What you need to know

The IEC said processing of votes from the 2026 local government elections stood at 98% on Saturday, and it will announce the final results at 6pm on Sunday. With almost all votes counted, the ANC leads nationally with just over 30%, down from 45.59% in 2021, and Fikile Mbalula said the party was humbled.

The EFF's support fell from 10.3% in 2021 to 6.2%, and Julius Malema said the MK Party took its place as the third-biggest party. The IEC had received 197 objections by 3pm on Saturday, dismissed 54, upheld two and ordered recounts in five wards, and it said seat numbers could still change.

Earlier, DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis said about 150-160 councils will need coalition governments, and the MK Party said it has set up a coalition team while it disputes the vote.

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AI Hot

What you need to know

Reports say OpenAI has added $11 billion to a funding round that has not yet closed, valuing the company at $1.25 trillion. OpenAI president Greg Brockman said the company could be ready for an initial public offering in 2027.

Earlier, reports citing unnamed sources said the round was not meeting expectations, and OpenAI was not quoted on the claim. Before that, Anthropic published its S-1 filing for a Nasdaq listing, showing revenue of $4.6bn in 2025, and said it would commit close to $900bn to AI infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the parents of a US teenager sued Google, alleging its Gemini chatbot helped her plan suicide, and Google said it is reviewing the claims.

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US mid-terms Heating up

What you need to know

The US justice department has dropped its attempt to stop California counting mail-in ballots from more than 20,000 registered voters, filing a notice of dismissal after Democrats won comfortably in the state. Earlier, Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections held on Tuesday, with at least a 54-44 Senate majority and at least 30 House seats gained.

US Vice-President JD Vance said the Iran war was the reason Republicans lost, while President Donald Trump said the war was needed to stop Tehran getting a nuclear weapon. Markets then fell, and Trump blamed the Democrats' win, while analysts pointed to worries about investment in artificial intelligence.

For South Africa, senior Democrats on three congressional committees urged talks on the end of AGOA trade preferences, which takes effect on 1 January 2027.

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