Nongoma IFP wins majority: 23 of 45 seats after 2026 vote
Provisional IEC tallies give the IFP 23 of 45 seats on the Nongoma council, an outright majority after a hung result in 2021. MK is second on 9 seats, ANC and NFP on 5 each.
Provisional IEC figures now show the Inkatha Freedom Party with a majority on the Nongoma local council: 23 of 45 seats, after all wards were declared in this Zululand municipality in KwaZulu-Natal (The Outlier, update 17:07 Africa/Johannesburg on 6 November 2026; ESP Nongoma results from IEC data).
In 2021 the council was hung. The IFP held 21 seats, two short of the 23 needed to govern alone, with the NFP on 13, the ANC on 8, the EFF on 2 and the National People's Front on 1 (Inkmark 2021 seat summary). This count clears that bar. Treat seats as provisional until the IEC formally declares the council.
What is the Nongoma seat split?
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) | 23 |
| uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK) | 9 |
| African National Congress (ANC) | 5 |
| National Freedom Party (NFP) | 5 |
| Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) | 1 |
| National People's Front (NAPF) | 1 |
| African Transformation Movement (ATM) | 1 |
| Total | 45 |
| Seats needed for a majority | 23 |
Source: The Outlier Nongoma card (IEC data). ESP breaks that into 21 ward seats and 2 PR seats for the IFP, with MK on 1 ward and 8 PR, the ANC on 1 ward and 4 PR, and the NFP, EFF, NAPF and ATM on PR seats only. Rateweb shows the same IFP majority at 100% counted, with the IFP on about 51.3% of the vote.
How did the wards and votes fall?
On ESP's reading of IEC ward results, the IFP won 21 of 23 wards, with the ANC taking ward 3 and MK taking ward 23. On the ward ballot the IFP took about 50.8% of valid votes (27 778), up about 5.7 percentage points from 45.1% in 2021. MK was second on about 19.9% (10 861), the ANC third on about 11.2% (6 142), and the NFP fourth on about 10.5% (5 718). All 125 voting districts in Nongoma are in, with turnout around 50% on ESP's PR-based figure.
How does this fit KwaZulu-Natal?
Nongoma sits in the Zululand district and is another outright IFP win in a province where MK leads the overall vote share and many councils are hung. Reported has already covered IFP majorities in Nkandla and Mthonjaneni (Melmoth), MK majorities in Richmond, iMpendle and Johannes Phumani Pungula, the DA majority in uMngeni (Howick), and hung towns such as KwaDukuza, Mandeni, eShowe and Scottburgh.
Nationally, seats are still being declared. Follow the IEC results dashboard for the official status of each council.
When must Nongoma elect a mayor?
Once the IEC declares the result, the new council must hold its first meeting within 14 calendar days and elect a speaker and mayor (Municipal Structures Act; see also Reported's hung-council mayor timeline). With an outright majority, the IFP can elect those office-bearers without a coalition partner, unless it chooses one.
Figures above are provisional IEC-based tallies from Outlier, ESP and Rateweb. They can still change if wards are recounted or objections succeed before the IEC's final declaration.
FAQ
Did the IFP win a majority in Nongoma?
On provisional IEC-based tallies with seats declared, yes. The Outlier and ESP show the IFP on 23 of 45 seats, the exact number needed for a majority. In 2021 the council was hung with the IFP on 21 seats.
How many seats does MK have in Nongoma?
The MK Party has 9 seats on the provisional Outlier and ESP seat tallies: 1 ward seat and 8 proportional-representation seats.
When must Nongoma elect a mayor?
After the IEC declares the council, the first meeting to elect a speaker and mayor must be held within 14 calendar days.