MK objects to eThekwini count: will Sunday's final results be delayed?

The MK Party has lodged a formal section 65 objection with the Electoral Commission (IEC) over the eThekwini count and wants the final declaration of results delayed until its complaints are resolved (Inside Politics). As of Saturday morning, the IEC had not said it would delay anything. Its spokesperson Kate Bopela said the matter is with the commissioners, who reply to parties directly (TimesLIVE). Final results are scheduled for 17:30 on Sunday, 8 November 2026 (Inside Politics).

The claims below are MK's allegations. They have not been independently verified, and TimesLIVE notes the four-page objection does not name specific voting districts or wards, put numbers on the alleged discrepancies or attach results slips (TimesLIVE).

What is MK objecting to?

The objection was signed by MK acting secretary-general Lindiwe Makubu and sent to IEC commissioner Titi Pitso on Friday, 6 November (TimesLIVE). According to IOL and TimesLIVE, MK alleges:

• a system failure at the IEC's eThekwini Results Operations Centre during live capturing, which it says disrupted data streams and altered visible audit trails
• mismatches between figures captured electronically and the signed results slips (Form NP041) its agents received at voting stations
• problems with the verification, reconciliation and sorting of ballots between 2 and 4 November

MK also objects to IEC statements that it failed to deploy party agents at some voting stations, and wants those remarks withdrawn (TimesLIVE).

What does MK want the IEC to do?

Was the objection on time?

The IEC deadline for section 65 objections was 17:00 on 6 November 2026 (IEC). MK also filed an application for condonation in case its objection is treated as late, arguing the alleged problems were still unfolding when the deadline passed (TimesLIVE). The IEC says it may consider a late objection if it comes with such an application (IEC).

What happens to a section 65 objection now?

The IEC says it investigates every objection and then rejects, dismisses or upholds it, and tells the objector in writing (IEC). An objection only counts if, when upheld, it would change the result at a voting station, in a ward or in the municipality (IEC).

If MK is unhappy with the decision, it has seven days to appeal to the Electoral Court (IEC). MK made similar claims after the May 2024 national election, and the Electoral Court dismissed that challenge in September this year, finding the party had not shown the results were compromised (Inside Politics).

For how objections and recounts work in general, see our explainers on lodging a section 65 objection and election recount rules.

Why has the eThekwini count been slow?

At a Friday briefing in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal provincial electoral officer Ntombifuthi Masinga said eThekwini was delayed mainly by volume, with "quite a handful of recounts" there and in Msunduzi (Inside Politics). She said recounts are needed when the number of ballot papers issued does not match the valid, invalid and spoilt totals (Inside Politics).

By about 10:00 on Saturday, 749 of eThekwini's 750 voting districts on the IEC feed were in (Townpress).

Where does the eThekwini count stand?

These are provisional figures from Rateweb's IEC-based tracker. Projected seats are Rateweb's estimate; the IEC only allocates PR seats once the count is final.

A party needs 112 seats to govern eThekwini alone, so on these numbers the metro is hung (Rateweb). Earlier, the DA ruled out a coalition with MK (our earlier report).

Does this affect the rest of KwaZulu-Natal?

The objection focuses on eThekwini (IOL). Province-wide, MK leads the vote on 34.54%, ahead of the IFP on 20.86% and the ANC on 20.65%, while 31 of the 44 KZN councils had no outright winner on Saturday morning (IOL).

What should eThekwini residents do?

You do not need to do anything. Follow official results on the IEC results site, and treat claims about "frozen" or "changed" results on social media with caution until the IEC announces its decision.