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Newsbrief

FF+ wins 36 council seats in Western Cape

Published

Ongoing: Elections Hot

The Freedom Front Plus has won seats in 18 municipalities while counting continues in the Western Cape local elections. The party is on about 3.5% of votes counted in Cape Town, and it says it is open to coalition talks.

FF+ federal council executive Pieter van Vuuren said the party is open to being a coalition partner in some hung municipalities. He said 16 councils in the province are hung.

Van Vuuren said the party was a little worried before the results, but is now elated because it sees a lot of growth. The party is polling at around 5% in the province as the count goes on.

Key facts

Who
Pieter van Vuuren (FF+ federal council executive); Freedom Front Plus (political party); Democratic Alliance (party governing the City of Cape Town); African National Congress (political party)
What
With Western Cape local election results still being counted, the Freedom Front Plus (FF+) is reported to have won 36 council seats across 18 municipalities and to be on about 3.5% of votes counted in Cape Town. FF+ federal council executive Pieter van Vuuren said the party is open to being a coalition partner in some hung municipalities.
When
6 November 2026
Where
Western Cape, Cape Town
Status
Reported

Elections Hot

What you need to know

Counting in the 2026 local government elections continues, and the Electoral Commission will declare final results on Sunday. The ANC has lost ground in several areas: in Buffalo City it fell to 41% from 59% in 2021 with all votes counted, leaving the council hung.

In the Western Cape, the ANC had won none of the 21 councils with results in, with about 13% support. The DA appears to have won majority control in Cape Town, and leader Geordin Hill-Lewis said the party will now turn to metros in other provinces.

The DA's Grant Twigg said the weekend would go to coalition talks, as 16 Western Cape councils are hung.

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US mid-terms Heating up

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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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