What you need to know
The MK Party said in Durban on 7 November that it has set up a coalition negotiating team for hung councils, while its objection to the vote still stands. Earlier, the MK Party sent the IEC a four-page objection alleging system failures and count mismatches after the 4 November elections, and asked it to postpone the final results announcement.
DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis said about 150-160 councils, roughly two-thirds of local municipalities, will need coalition governments, and he asked parties to put stable councils first. The IEC said results were final in 150 of 213 municipalities as at 5pm on Friday, and observers led by the South African Council of Churches called the elections free and fair.
EFF leader Julius Malema called the result a setback, not a defeat, after support fell from 10.3% in 2021 to 6.2% and the MK Party became the third-biggest party.