Ongoing

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

MK Party aims for two-thirds majority in local elections

Published

Ongoing: Elections Hot

MK Party deputy president Duduzane Zuma said internal polling shows the party's support in the early to mid-60s while votes were being counted. He said early results have not yet reached the party's target.

Zuma said the party was pleased with its position so far. He said the party would work in coalitions only with parties that share its values and policy outlook. He added that coalition talks were a distant thought for the party.

Zuma dismissed reports of missing ballot boxes and data delays in eThekwini. He said some of that information was unverified and some was mischievous or false flag attacks.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa said data from major metros, including eThekwini, was delayed because of larger ballot papers and more parties contesting.

Key facts

Who
Duduzane Zuma (MK Party deputy president); Electoral Commission of South Africa (electoral body that attributed data delays to larger ballot papers and more…); African National Congress (party whose national vote share fell in the 2026 municipal elections); Democratic Alliance (party reported to have surged and led in several metros)
What
Vote counting in South Africa's local government elections was in its final stages with 82% of voting districts counted. The ANC led the national count with 31% of votes, followed by the DA and MK party, and the DA led in Gauteng's three metros without an outright majority, so coalitions are likely.
When
5 November 2026
Where
KwaZulu-Natal, eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa
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