Ramaphosa urges parties to form councils without delay
Ongoing: Elections Hot
President Cyril Ramaphosa told parties to put communities before power and positions as they negotiate municipal governments. He spoke at the announcement of the final 2026 Local Government Elections results at the IEC Results Operations Centre in Midrand on Sunday.
Ramaphosa said parties in municipalities without an outright majority must find common ground. He said this is not a weakness of democracy. He said political disagreements must not harm municipal stability or delay essential services.
He said elected representatives will be judged on whether they turn election promises into real improvements in daily life. He also said the revised White Paper on Local Government would give a framework to strengthen the local government system.
The Electoral Commission said 10,526 council seats were contested. The ANC won 3,164 seats with 30.89% of the vote. The DA won 1,527 seats with 24.60%.
The MK Party took 701 seats with 9.61%, and the EFF took 505 seats with 6.25%. ActionSA won 219 seats with 5.68%.
Key facts
- Who
- Cyril Ramaphosa (President of South Africa); Independent Electoral Commission (electoral body that announced the final election results); Electoral Commission (announced the 2026 municipal election results)
- What
- Speaking at the announcement of the final 2026 local government election results at the IEC Results Operations Centre in Midrand, Ramaphosa called on parties to find common ground in municipalities without an outright majority and to constitute councils without delay.
- When
- 8 November 2026
- Where
- Midrand, South Africa
- Status
- Reported