Ongoing

  1. ElectionsHot
  2. US mid-termsHeating up
  3. AICooling
Newsbrief

DA wins 91 seats in Johannesburg council, short of control

Published

Ongoing: Elections Hot

The Democratic Alliance is the biggest party on the new City of Johannesburg Metro Council but needs 136 seats to govern alone. The ANC fell by 28 seats to 63 compared with the 2021 local government elections.

Action SA won 44 seats, the third largest share. The Economic Freedom Fighters lost 12 seats and now hold 17. The uMkhonto Wesizwe (MK) Party, which contests council seats for the first time, won 15.

The Inkatha Freedom Party kept its seven seats. The Patriotic Alliance, the Freedom Front Plus and Rise Mzansi won five seats each.

Key facts

Who
African National Congress (party that lost 28 seats, now holding 63); Democratic Alliance (biggest gainer, with 91 seats); Action SA (party with 44 seats); Economic Freedom Fighters (party that lost 12 seats, now holding 17)
What
A seat allocation for the new City of Johannesburg Metro Council shows the ANC down 28 seats to 63, the DA with 91 seats (short of the 136 needed for control), Action SA with 44, the EFF down 12 to 17, MK Party with 15, IFP with 7, and PA, FF Plus and Rise Mzansi with five each.
When
8 November 2026
Where
City of Johannesburg, Johannesburg
Status
Reported

Elections Hot

What you need to know

The Electoral Commission (IEC) will announce the final 2026 local election results on Sunday evening, with more than 100 municipal councils hung. In Mpumalanga, the ANC's support fell to 43.6%, which reports describe as its lowest ever, and it lost Victor Khanye and Mbombela.

Before that, the IEC said objections would not delay results, with 197 received and 54 dismissed. Some parties dispute the count: the ANC in Sedibeng is preparing an Electoral Court challenge over the Vaal voters' roll, and the MK Party may go to court over Ethekwini.

Coalition talks come next, and the SACP says it will set strict conditions before it backs the ANC in hung councils.

  1. Ramaphosa urges parties to form councils without delay
  2. DA wins 91 seats in Johannesburg council, short of control
  3. IEC announces official local election results in Midrand

See every update

US mid-terms Heating up

What you need to know

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

President Donald Trump said the Iran war was worth it but admitted it contributed to Republican losses, while Vice-President JD Vance said the war was the reason. Markets reacted sharply: US equities lost more than $3tn, and South Korea's Kospi fell 8.5%, while Trump blamed the Democratic win and analysts pointed to worries about AI investment.

In South Africa, the JSE rose almost 5%, and senior US Democrats urged talks over the removal of AGOA trade preferences, which takes effect on 1 January 2027.

  1. Podcast says US midterms leave Musk and data centres exposed
  2. US justice department drops California mail-in ballot lawsuit
  3. US planning commission approves Trump's 76m triumphal arch

See every update

AI Cooling

What you need to know

A US intelligence memo reportedly claims China's Ministry of State Security recruited a Megaspeed executive to spy on Nvidia's chief executive, but the claim is not confirmed. Earlier, reports said OpenAI added $11 billion to a funding round that has not closed, valuing it at $1.25 trillion.

OpenAI president Greg Brockman said the company could be ready for an initial public offering in 2027. Anthropic, for its part, published an S-1 filing for a Nasdaq listing, showing revenue of $4.6bn in 2025 and a net loss of $80.7bn in the first half of 2026.

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.

  1. US memo claims China recruited executive to spy on Nvidia chief
  2. OpenAI reportedly raises $11 billion more at $1.25 trillion value
  3. Parents sue Google over Gemini chatbot and daughter's suicide plan

See every update