Emalahleni (Witbank) hung: ANC 23 seats, needs 36 to govern
Emalahleni (Witbank) is hung after a full count: the ANC has 23 of 71 seats, 13 short of a majority. Seat table, vote share and what happens next.
Provisional IEC figures show a hung council in Emalahleni Local Municipality (Witbank and surrounding areas, municipal code MP312): the African National Congress is the largest party with 23 of 71 seats, 13 short of the 36 seats needed to govern alone (ESP Emalahleni results from IEC data; The Outlier Emalahleni; Mandate SA Emalahleni; Rateweb Mpumalanga results).
Treat seats as provisional until the IEC formally declares the council. ESP, The Outlier and Mandate SA all show all 124 voting districts and all 36 wards complete as of Saturday 7 November 2026.
Witbank News reports that counting is concluded and that coalition talks will decide who governs. This is not the Eastern Cape municipality of the same name.
Who got how many seats?
| Party | Seats | Ward + PR |
|---|---|---|
| ANC | 23 | 23 + 0 |
| DA | 17 | 10 + 7 |
| MK Party | 10 | 1 + 9 |
| EFF | 8 | 2 + 6 |
| Freedom Front Plus | 4 | 0 + 4 |
| Service Delivery Party | 4 | 0 + 4 |
| ActionSA | 3 | 0 + 3 |
| IFP | 1 | 0 + 1 |
| SACP | 1 | 0 + 1 |
Sources: ESP seat table from IEC data; The Outlier Emalahleni.
How big was the ANC's drop?
On the ward ballot, the ANC took 31.5% of valid votes, down about 18.8 percentage points from 50.3% in 2021 (ESP Emalahleni). The DA followed on 23.8%, the MK Party on 14.0% and the EFF on 10.6%.
Mandate SA's combined ward and PR totals put the ANC on about 31.4% of votes counted across both ballots (Mandate SA Emalahleni).
ESP estimates turnout at about 51.7% of voters on the roll for districts with results (ESP Emalahleni).
Did any party win a majority of wards?
No. Of 36 wards, the ANC won 23, the DA 10, the EFF 2 and the MK Party 1 (ESP Emalahleni; The Outlier Emalahleni). Ward wins alone do not control the council: proportional seats fill the rest of the 71 places.
What happens next in Emalahleni?
With no party on 36 seats, parties must negotiate a coalition or a minority arrangement before they can elect a mayor and speaker. The Municipal Structures Act requires the first council meeting within 14 days of the election results being declared (Inside Politics on hung councils; IEC process summarised on the IEC results dashboard).
Rateweb's Mpumalanga tracker lists Emalahleni among 13 hung councils out of 16 fully counted municipalities in the province (Rateweb Mpumalanga). Nationally, more than 120 councils are heading for coalitions on completed counts (Inside Politics; Jacaranda FM).
Check live ward and seat figures on the IEC results dashboard, ESP Emalahleni or The Outlier Emalahleni. Final declaration is still expected around 11 November 2026.
FAQ
Did the ANC win Emalahleni (Witbank) outright?
No. The ANC has 23 of 71 seats on provisional IEC figures. A majority needs 36, so the council is hung (ESP / The Outlier / Mandate SA).
What is the Emalahleni seat split?
ANC 23, DA 17, MK Party 10, EFF 8, Freedom Front Plus 4, Service Delivery Party 4, ActionSA 3, and one seat each for the IFP and SACP (ESP from IEC data).
Is this the Witbank or Eastern Cape Emalahleni?
Witbank: Emalahleni Local Municipality MP312 in Mpumalanga. The Eastern Cape municipality with the same name is a separate council.
When must Emalahleni elect a mayor?
The first council meeting must be held within 14 days of the election results being declared. Parties then elect a mayor and speaker (Municipal Structures Act / IEC process).
How much did the ANC's vote fall?
On the ward ballot, ESP shows the ANC on 31.5%, down about 18.8 points from 50.3% in 2021.