Maluti-a-Phofung is hung: ANC drops to 21 of 70 seats
Maluti-a-Phofung (QwaQwa, Harrismith) has a hung council. With all 236 voting districts counted, the ANC has 21 of 70 seats, the ACM 15, the DA 14 and MAP16 6. A party needs 36 to govern alone. IEC final results are due Sunday 8 November at 18:00.
Maluti-a-Phofung, the Free State municipality that runs Phuthaditjhaba (QwaQwa), Harrismith and Kestell, has a hung council. With all 236 voting districts counted, the ANC has 21 of the 70 seats, well short of the 36 needed to govern alone (The People's Register; ESP).
The ANC took 29.2% of the ward ballot, down from 38.6% in 2021. The African Content Movement (ACM) came second on 19.6% and the DA third on 18.2% (ESP).
Who won how many seats?
| Party | Ward seats | PR seats | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANC | 20 | 1 | 21 |
| African Content Movement | 7 | 8 | 15 |
| DA | 4 | 10 | 14 |
| MAP16 Civic Movement | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| EFF | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| SACP | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| ATM | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Seven other parties | 0 | 7 | 7 (one each) |
The seven one-seat parties are the Freedom Front Plus, Dikwankwetla Party, Patriotic Alliance, African People's Movement, African Congress for Transformation, Community First Alliance and Baahi Civic Movement. Sources: The People's Register (IEC allocation as at 05:26 on 8 November), ESP.
Turnout was 48.3% of about 190,000 registered voters (ESP).
How much did the council change since 2021?
A lot. In 2021 the ANC won 28 seats and MAP16, a local civic movement, won 20. This time MAP16 fell to 6 seats, while the ACM jumped from 2 to 15 and the DA from 5 to 14 (Counted).
The ANC still won most wards (20 of 35), but almost all of its seats now come from wards. It gets only one PR seat because PR seats top parties up to their share of the overall vote (ESP; Reported: how council seats are calculated).
What would it take to reach 36 seats?
This is simple seat arithmetic from the provisional allocation, not a prediction of any deal:
| Combination | Seats | Majority (36)? |
|---|---|---|
| ANC + ACM | 36 | Yes, exactly |
| ANC + DA | 35 | One short |
| ACM + DA + MAP16 | 35 | One short |
| ANC + MAP16 + EFF + SACP | 32 | No |
Source: seat totals from The People's Register.
With 14 parties on the council and several deals sitting at or near 36, small parties holding one or two seats may decide who governs.
When will Maluti-a-Phofung get a mayor?
The results are still provisional. The IEC plans to announce the final 2026 local election results at 18:00 on Sunday, 8 November, and has said seat allocations can still change if objections are upheld (IOL).
Once the council is declared, the municipal manager must call the first council meeting within 14 days, where councillors elect a speaker and mayor (Municipal Structures Act; Reported: what happens in a hung council).
Water, electricity and rates billing carry on under the existing administration in the meantime.
How to check the official result
Use the IEC's results dashboard and search for Maluti a Phofung (FS194). Ward-by-ward results are also on ESP and The People's Register. Only the IEC's declaration is final.
FAQ
Is Maluti-a-Phofung a hung council after the 2026 election?
Yes, on the provisional IEC allocation. The ANC has 21 of 70 seats and no party has the 36 needed to govern alone. The IEC announces final results on Sunday 8 November at 18:00.
How many seats did each party win in Maluti-a-Phofung?
ANC 21, African Content Movement 15, DA 14, MAP16 Civic Movement 6, EFF 3, SACP 2, ATM 2, and seven parties with one seat each.
Which parties together reach a majority in Maluti-a-Phofung?
On the provisional seats, the ANC and ACM together have exactly 36. ANC plus DA, or ACM plus DA plus MAP16, each have 35, one short. No coalition has been announced in the sources used here.
When will Maluti-a-Phofung elect a mayor?
After the IEC declares the result, the municipal manager must call the first council meeting within 14 days, where the speaker and mayor are elected.