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Newsbrief

DA prepares coalition talks as 16 Western Cape councils hang

Published

Ongoing: Elections Hot

The DA leads in 19 of the 25 Western Cape municipalities but has passed the 51% threshold for outright control in only seven so far. Party leader in the province's executive committee member Grant Twigg said the weekend would go to coalition talks.

The count stood at 80% of the provincial vote and 61% of the Cape Town metro vote. The seven municipalities under full DA control are outside the City of Cape Town. ActionSA emerged as the leading party over the DA in Laingsburg.

Twigg said the DA has no preferred coalition partners, apart from its hard line. He said the party does not see the higher number of hung councils than in 2021 as a regression.

Twigg also said residents and voters have spoken. He said the DA may need to understand why its support dropped in some areas.

Key facts

Who
Democratic Alliance (party leading in 19 Western Cape municipalities, planning coalition talks); Grant Twigg (DA provincial executive committee member); ActionSA (party that emerged as leading party over the DA in Laingsburg municipality)
What
With 80% of the provincial vote counted and 61% of the Cape Town metro captured, the DA leads in 19 municipalities but has passed the 51% threshold for complete control in only seven, so far. Its provincial executive committee member Grant Twigg said the weekend would be dedicated to coalition talks.
When
6 November 2026
Where
Western Cape, City of Cape Town, Laingsburg
Status
Reported

Elections Hot

What you need to know

Counting in the 2026 local government elections continues, and the Electoral Commission of South Africa will declare final results on Sunday. With 56% of voting districts counted, the ANC leads nationally with 31%, the DA has 25% and the MK Party is third.

The DA appears to have won majority control in Cape Town, and leader Geordin Hill-Lewis plans a significant announcement in Midrand on Friday. Early results point to a more fragmented vote, and ActionSA, the DA, the ANC and the EFF said they are open to coalition talks.

Earlier, police said they recorded 85 incidents and registered 57 case dockets on voting day, and the Independent Electoral Commission said a party tore up at least 100 ballots in the Northern Cape.

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US mid-terms Heating up

What you need to know

Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the US midterm elections on 3 November, with at least a 54-44 Senate majority and at least 30 House seats gained. Exit polls showed voters angry about high prices and the direction of the country, and the result was a rebuke of President Donald Trump.

Trump said the Iran war was needed to stop Tehran getting a nuclear weapon, but admitted it contributed to Republican losses, while Vice-President JD Vance said the war was the reason. Markets reacted, with the JSE All Share Index rising almost 5% on 5 November and Brent crude falling below $100 a barrel as investors hoped for an end to the war.

Earlier, President Cyril Ramaphosa said the result would introduce a new era in world relations, while some leaders warned of political gridlock in Washington.

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