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  2. AIHot
  3. US mid-termsHeating up
Newsbrief

DA wins outright control of four Western Cape councils

Published

Ongoing: Elections Hot

The DA holds outright majorities in Bergrivier, Swartland, Cederberg and Drakenstein after counting ended in at least 17 Western Cape councils by 6pm on Thursday. At least 13 councils are hung and will need coalitions.

Western Cape IEC chief Micheal Hendrickse said on Thursday that 17 councils had finished counting, and four of them returned outright majorities. The Electoral Commission of South Africa has captured and audited 65% of the 4,040 result slips in the province.

In Oudtshoorn the DA won 10 seats, and in Knysna it won 9 seats. Councils where no party has a majority will need coalition arrangements.

The DA said its own analysis and projections showed it was on course to win Cape Town with an outright majority. It made this claim after results were declared at midday.

Key facts

Who
Micheal Hendrickse (Western Cape IEC Chief); Electoral Commission of South Africa (electoral body capturing and auditing results); DA (party winning majority control in four councils)
What
After counting and declaration of votes concluded in at least 17 Western Cape local councils by 6pm on Thursday, the DA holds outright majorities in Bergrivier, Swartland, Cederberg and Drakenstein. At least 13 councils are hung and will need coalition arrangements, and the IEC has captured and audited 65% of the 4,040 result slips in the province.
When
5 November 2026
Where
Western Cape, Bergrivier, Swartland
Status
Reported

Elections Hot

What you need to know

ActionSA's Kgadi Mogatusi is projected to win Ward 48 in Dobsonville, Soweto, the first time the ANC has lost that ward. The IEC said 15.9 million people voted in the local elections, and final results will come only after objections are dealt with, within seven days by law.

Early projections point to hung councils, with the CSIR projecting the DA to lead in Ekurhuleni, Joburg and Tshwane when 23% of Gauteng voting districts were declared. In KwaZulu-Natal, the MK Party led early counts, while the ANC chief whip Mdumiseni Ntuli said the party's showing is below its own expectations.

Earlier, the IEC said about 106 of more than 800 party complaints remained open, and it cannot declare final results before 5pm on Friday.

  1. DA wins outright control of four Western Cape councils
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AI Hot

What you need to know

Uber said that in its busiest week last quarter, only 4 people booked a ride through an AI agent, and Nothing plans to sell an AI-first device in December. Earlier, unnamed critics accused Accenture of publishing an AI report with wrongly attributed research and apparently non-existent case studies, while CrowdStrike announced a deal of nearly $500 million for two AI security startups.

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. The VAST AI investment scheme, which recruited South Africans on social media, went offline on 30 October after approved withdrawals did not arrive, according to a news investigation.

In South Africa, the CSIR asked partners on 28 October to build a network to counter AI-driven fake content before the coming elections.

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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. JSE surges and rand firms after Democratic midterm win
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  3. Democrats win US midterms and vow to check Trump

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