Setsoto council is hung: ANC leads with 13 of 30 seats
Setsoto, which includes Ficksburg, Senekal, Clocolan and Marquard, has a hung council. With all 71 voting districts counted, the ANC has 13 of 30 seats, three short of 16. The DA has 5 and the EFF 4. Final results are due Sunday at 18:00.
Setsoto, the eastern Free State municipality that includes Ficksburg, Senekal, Clocolan and Marquard, has a hung council. With all 71 voting districts counted, the ANC has 13 of the 30 seats, three short of the 16 needed to govern alone (The People's Register, using IEC data dated 16:27 SAST on 8 November 2026; also on ESP and Counted).
The ANC won 12 of the 15 wards but only one PR seat. The DA has 5 seats and the EFF 4, with five smaller parties sharing the other 8 (ESP).
Who won how many seats?
| Party | Ward seats | PR seats | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANC | 12 | 1 | 13 |
| DA | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| EFF | 1 | 3 | 4 |
| Freedom Front Plus | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| SACP | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Setsoto Service Delivery Forum | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| ActionSA | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| African Congress for Transformation | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Source: The People's Register, IEC allocation 8 November 2026, 16:27 SAST; also ESP and Counted.
Turnout was about 48.6% of 60,134 registered voters, with the IEC publishing 48.9% (ESP, citing the IEC).
How did the ward vote split?
| Party | Ward votes | Share | PR votes | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANC | 12,615 | 44.2% | 12,855 | 45.0% |
| DA | 4,510 | 15.8% | 4,508 | 15.8% |
| EFF | 3,585 | 12.5% | 3,630 | 12.7% |
| SACP | 1,928 | 6.7% | 1,760 | 6.2% |
| Setsoto Service Delivery Forum | 1,828 | 6.4% | 1,762 | 6.2% |
| Freedom Front Plus | 1,579 | 5.5% | 1,638 | 5.7% |
| ActionSA | 569 | 2.0% | 586 | 2.1% |
| African Congress for Transformation | 461 | 1.6% | 461 | 1.6% |
Source: The People's Register, from 28,569 valid ward votes and 28,585 valid PR votes. The ANC's ward vote share is down 6.6 percentage points from 50.8% in 2021 (ESP).
The EFF won Ward 7 and the DA won Wards 9 and 13. The ANC took every other ward (ESP).
How does this compare with 2021?
In 2021 the council had 33 seats and the ANC held a majority with 17. The council is now 30 seats, and the ANC has 13.
| Party | 2021 seats (of 33) | 2026 seats (of 30) |
|---|---|---|
| ANC | 17 | 13 |
| Setsoto Service Delivery Forum | 8 | 2 |
| DA | 2 | 5 |
| EFF | 3 | 4 |
Source: Counted. On combined ward and PR votes, the ANC's share fell from 51.0% to 44.6%, the Setsoto Service Delivery Forum dropped from 22.9% to 6.3%, and the DA rose from 7.0% to 15.8% (Counted).
What would it take to reach 16 seats?
This is seat arithmetic, not a prediction. No coalition had been announced in the sources used here.
| Combination | Seats |
|---|---|
| ANC + DA | 18 |
| ANC + EFF | 17 |
| ANC + SACP + Setsoto Service Delivery Forum | 17 |
| ANC + any two-seat party + any one-seat party | 16 |
| ANC + SACP | 15 |
| All parties except the ANC | 17 |
The ANC needs three more seats. Without the ANC, all seven other parties together hold 17, a one-seat majority, so a council without the ANC would need every one of them voting together.
When will Setsoto 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 at the national results centre in Midrand (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
Use the IEC's results dashboard and search for Setsoto (FS191). Results for each of the 15 wards are also on ESP and The People's Register. Only the IEC's declaration is final.
FAQ
Is Setsoto a hung council after the 2026 election?
Yes. Setsoto, which includes Ficksburg, Senekal, Clocolan and Marquard, has a hung council. With all 71 voting districts counted, the ANC has 13 of 30 seats and needs 16 to govern alone. The IEC plans to announce final results on Sunday 8 November at 18:00.
How many seats did each party win in Setsoto?
ANC 13, DA 5, EFF 4, Freedom Front Plus 2, SACP 2, Setsoto Service Delivery Forum 2, and ActionSA and the African Congress for Transformation 1 each.
When will Setsoto 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.