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  2. AIHot
  3. US mid-termsHeating up
Newsbrief

ANC loses outright majority in Makana council

Published

Ongoing: Elections Hot

Early results show the ANC won 10 of 25 council seats in Makana in the Eastern Cape, with just over 31% of the vote. That is down from 14 of 27 seats in 2021 and sets up coalition talks.

A party needs 13 seats for an outright majority in the 25-seat council, and none reached that number. The DA won 6 seats with 27.24% of the vote. Makana United Civic Movement, a newcomer, won 4 seats with 19.51%.

The Economic Freedom Fighters, the Patriotic Alliance, the South African Communist Party and ActionSA each won 1 seat.

Key facts

Who
African National Congress (party that held power in Makana after the 2021 elections and lost its outright…); Democratic Alliance (party with 6 seats in Makana council); Makana United Civic Movement (newcomer party with 4 seats in Makana council); Economic Freedom Fighters (party with 1 seat in Makana council)
What
Early results show the ANC won about 31% of the vote and 10 of 25 council seats in Makana Local Municipality, down from 14 of 27 seats in 2021, setting up coalition negotiations. The DA has 6 seats and Makana United Civic Movement has 4.
When
5 November 2026
Where
Makana Local Municipality, Eastern Cape
Status
Reported

Elections Hot

What you need to know

With 21% of votes counted nationally in the local government elections, the ANC has 1.34 million votes and the DA has 1.27 million. The CSIR projects the ANC at around 31.7% and the DA at 25.8% nationally, based on 13% of voting districts declared.

The IEC said 18 municipalities had finished the results process by 9am on Thursday, against seven at the same point in 2021. Early local results point to coalition talks, with the ANC winning 10 of 25 seats in Makana, and the MK Party leading early in KwaZulu-Natal.

The IEC handles more than 800 complaints, about 106 still open, and cannot declare final results before 5pm on Friday.

  1. IEC says 15.9 million people voted in local elections
  2. ANC loses outright majority in Makana council
  3. MK Party leads early KwaZulu-Natal count as ANC accepts outcome

See every update

AI Hot

What you need to know

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Elsewhere, reports from unnamed sources say OpenAI's latest funding round is falling short of expectations, and a judge let the NAACP pollution case against xAI proceed. In South Africa, the VAST AI investment scheme went offline on 30 October after withdrawals marked approved did not arrive, according to a news investigation.

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US mid-terms Heating up

What you need to know

US Vice-President JD Vance said in a post on X that the Iran war was the reason Republicans lost the midterm elections, and he questioned whether it was worth the cost. Democrats won the Senate with a majority of at least 54-44 and gained at least 30 House seats, according to one count, and party leaders said they would rein in President Donald Trump.

Trump said the war was needed to stop Tehran getting a nuclear weapon, though he admitted it contributed to his party's losses. Earlier, projections showed Democrats winning both chambers on 3 November, and exit polls showed voters angry about high prices and the direction of the country.

Before the vote, US forces struck Qeshm Island in Iran, and Trump said a deal with Iran could happen while also threatening to resume strikes.

  1. Vance blames Iran war for Republican midterm losses
  2. Democrats win US midterms and vow to check Trump
  3. Trump says Iran war was worth it despite election losses

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