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Newsbrief

DA leads ANC in early Nelson Mandela Bay results

Published

The Electoral Commission of South Africa's preliminary results as at 11:00 on Thursday show the DA with 60,427 votes and the ANC with 43,324 in Nelson Mandela Bay. The figures point to a likely DA return to the mayoral seat.

The EFF has 5.03% of preliminary support in the metro. The Patriotic Alliance has 4.34% and the South African Communist Party has 3.67%. The Mayibuye Civic Movement has 3%, and the National Alliance has 0.2%.

Floyd Shivambu's party has 1.38% of support, and the MK Party has 1.07%, or 1,654 votes. Shivambu is a former EFF deputy president and the MK Party secretary-general.

Retief Odendaal is the DA candidate expected to become mayor if the trend holds. The ANC had three mayoral candidates, one of them Andile Lungisa. He had said the party wanted a majority to reset what he called the 2016 collapse.

Key facts

Who
Retief Odendaal (DA candidate expected to become mayor if current trend holds); Andile Lungisa (one of the ANC's three mayoral candidates); Gary van Niekerk (mayor after May 2023 motion of no confidence; leader of the National Alliance); Gayton McKenzie (Sport, Arts and Culture Minister; leader of the Patriotic Alliance)
What
According to the IEC's preliminary outcomes as at 11:00 on Thursday, the DA led by 60 427 votes to the ANC's 43 324 in Nelson Mandela Bay. The article says this spells a likely political comeback for the DA to the town hall and mayoral seat.
When
5 November 2026
Where
Nelson Mandela Bay
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.

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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.

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