Matjhabeng is hung: ANC drops to 26 of 72 seats, DA 24
Matjhabeng (Welkom, Virginia, Odendaalsrus) has a hung council. With all 177 voting districts counted, the ANC has 26 of 72 seats and the DA 24, after the ANC fell from 39 seats in 2021. A majority is 37. Final results are due Sunday at 18:00.
Matjhabeng, the Free State municipality that includes Welkom, Virginia and Odendaalsrus, has a hung council. With all 177 voting districts counted, the ANC has 26 of the 72 seats, 11 short of the 37 needed to govern alone (ESP; The People's Register; Counted).
The DA is close behind on 24 seats. The ANC's share of the ward vote was 35.7%, down from 53.1% in 2021, according to IEC data on ESP. In 2021 the ANC held a majority with 39 of 72 seats. It has now lost 13, while the DA has gained 8, rising from 16 to 24 (The People's Register; Counted).
Who won how many seats?
| Party | Ward seats | PR seats | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANC | 23 | 3 | 26 |
| DA | 13 | 11 | 24 |
| EFF | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Freedom Front Plus | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| SACP | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Patriotic Alliance | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| ActionSA | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| African Congress for Transformation | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Voice for Change | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| IFP | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| United Residents Front | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| African Transformation Movement | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Sources: ESP (IEC data), The People's Register (allocation as at 11:36 on 8 November) and Counted.
Turnout was 50.9% of about 206,000 registered voters, with 102,783 valid ward votes (ESP). The IEC publishes turnout of 51.2%.
How did the ward vote split?
| Party | Ward votes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| ANC | 36,664 | 35.7% |
| DA | 33,920 | 33.0% |
| EFF | 7,144 | 7.0% |
| SACP | 4,482 | 4.4% |
| Freedom Front Plus | 3,986 | 3.9% |
| Patriotic Alliance | 2,951 | 2.9% |
Source: ESP. The ANC won 23 of the 36 wards and the DA won 13.
What would it take to reach 37 seats?
This is seat arithmetic, not a prediction. No coalition had been announced in the sources used here.
| Combination | Seats |
|---|---|
| ANC + DA | 50 |
| ANC + every other party except the DA | 48 |
| DA + every other party except the ANC | 46 |
| ANC + EFF + SACP + Freedom Front Plus | 37 |
The ANC is 11 seats short of a majority on its own. The DA is 13 short. Several combinations of smaller parties can take either side over the line.
When will Matjhabeng 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 (eNCA), and 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).
How to check your ward result
You can look up Matjhabeng (FS184) on the IEC results dashboard, ESP or The People's Register. For how ward and PR ballots translate into seats, see Reported: how council seats are calculated.
FAQ
Is Matjhabeng a hung council after the 2026 election?
Yes. With all 177 voting districts counted, the ANC has 26 of 72 seats and the DA 24, both short of the 37 needed to govern alone. The IEC declares final results on Sunday 8 November at 18:00.
How many seats did each party win in Matjhabeng?
ANC 26, DA 24, EFF 5, Freedom Front Plus 3, SACP 3, then two each for the Patriotic Alliance, ActionSA, African Congress for Transformation and Voice for Change, and one each for the IFP, United Residents Front and African Transformation Movement.
Which parties could reach a majority in Matjhabeng?
The ANC and DA together have 50 seats. The ANC plus every other party except the DA totals 48, and the DA plus every other party except the ANC totals 46. The ANC, EFF, SACP and Freedom Front Plus add up to exactly 37. No coalition had been announced in the sources used here.
When will Matjhabeng 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.