SEDIBENG.- The elections are over, numbers have been tallied, let the work begin!

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) said on Monday that all 213 municipal councils’ counting have now been finalised and declared. A total of 29.2 million voters were registered for the 2026 Local Government Elections and approximately 14.9 million South Africans cast their ballots nationwide.

The country’s newly elected municipal councils have 14 days to hold their first meetings and elect political leaders, while alliance talks will determine who governs the 127 councils where no party secured an outright majority.

Under Section 29(2) of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998, the municipal manager must convene the first meeting of a newly elected council within 14 days after it has been declared elected.

With the results declared on November 8, the first meetings are expected to take place by November 22.

In the Emfuleni Local Municipality (ELM), the DA has come out at the top, assured of 37 seats in the 90-member municipal council.

The party took the lead ahead of the ANC, which secured 22 seats.

Despite emerging as the largest party, the DA has fallen short of the 46 seats required for an outright majority, meaning that coalition negotiations in the coming days will be critical in shaping the municipality’s next political future.

The DA’s Mayoral Candidate Kingsol Chabalala said that the party’s national leadership is handling all the matters related to coalitions and the next step to be taken.

“We have submitted our preferred choices of the people (parties) we can, or want to work with, and the national offices will have the final say,” he said.

The ANC Regional Secretary, Jason Mkhwane, also shared a similar comment to Chabalala.

He said, “National and Provincial leadership will guide us on the way forward.”

SACP’s Thembinkosi Pulu also signalled that they are waiting for negotiations at national level, “Once done then we will be able to give a clear way forward.”

ACSA’s Edwin Kele said, “ Will share with you as soon we finalise, still in the meeting as is.”

With 13 parties securing seats in the ELM, the numbers are as follows:

• Democratic Alliance (DA): 37 seats (40.90%)
• African National Congress (ANC): 22 seats (23.95%)
• Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF): 6 seats (6.11%)
• ActionSA: 5 seats (5.85%)
• Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus): 5 seats (5.61%)
• uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP): 4 seats (4.25%)
• South African Communist Party (SACP): 3 seats (2.85%)
• Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC): 2 seats (1.95%)
• Active Citizens of South Africa (ACSA): 2 seats (1.55%)
• Patriotic Alliance (PA): 1 seat (0.91%)
• African Transformation Movement (ATM): 1 seat (0.69%)
  -Tau diya Rora: 1 seat (0.51%)
• Mayibuye: 1 seat (0.43%)