Ongoing

  1. ElectionsHot
  2. US mid-termsHeating up
  3. AICooling
NewsbriefSouth Africa, briefly.
JoburgJHB25°100%CTCT28°13°PretoriaPTA28°100%DurbanDBN18°100%

EFF objects to coin toss in Buffalo City Ward 15

Published

Ongoing: Elections Hot

The Economic Freedom Fighters want a recount in Ward 15 of Buffalo City Metro, where the party is tied with the Democratic Alliance. The Electoral Commission used a coin toss to break the tie, and the EFF says it must stop.

EFF representative Mziyanda Hlekiso asked the Electoral Commission to stop the toss and recount the ballots. He said the ballots should include spoilt papers. He said the toss would not help the party.

In the Free State, the EFF said it will not join coalition governments only for the sake of power. The party said it is considering its options in hung municipalities.

The EFF said any coalition deal must guarantee that its policies are carried out. It named the fight against tender corruption and stronger state capacity as key goals.

EFF Free State representative Mapheule Liphoko said the party accepts the voters' mandate, although its support fell slightly. He said Mangaung should not become like Cape Town, where he said Langa does not get services.

Key facts

Who
Mziyanda Hlekiso (EFF representative (quoted on the Ward 15 coin toss)); Mapheule Liphoko (EFF Free State representative); Economic Freedom Fighters (party objecting to the coin toss and considering coalition options); Independent Electoral Commission (body that conducted the coin toss in Ward 15)
What
The Economic Freedom Fighters objected to the Electoral Commission's coin toss to break a tie with the Democratic Alliance in Ward 15 of Buffalo City Metro and demanded a recount. The EFF also said it will not enter Free State coalitions simply for power and is considering its options in hung municipalities.
When
6 November 2026
Where
Buffalo City Metro, Eastern Cape, Ward 15
Status
Reported

Related stories

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. DA wins 91 seats in Johannesburg council, short of control
  2. IEC announces official local election results in Midrand
  3. ANC wins only 3 Mpumalanga councils outright, needs coalitions in 13

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