Thabazimbi hung again: ANC 8 seats, needs 12 to govern
Thabazimbi is hung after a full count: the ANC has 8 of 23 seats, four short of a majority. Seat table, vote share and what happens next.
Provisional IEC figures show a hung council in Thabazimbi Local Municipality (Limpopo Waterberg, municipal code LIM361): the African National Congress is the largest party with 8 of 23 seats, four short of the 12 seats needed to govern alone (ESP Thabazimbi results from IEC data; Rateweb Thabazimbi results; The Outlier Thabazimbi; Mandate SA Thabazimbi).
Treat seats as provisional until the IEC formally declares the council. ESP, Rateweb, The Outlier and Mandate SA all show all 58 voting districts and all 12 wards complete as of Saturday 7 November 2026.
SABC News reports this is Thabazimbi's third consecutive hung council since 2016. The provincial IEC briefing also listed Thabazimbi among five Limpopo hung councils already finalised by Friday (Citizen Review Online).
What is the Thabazimbi seat split?
| Party | Ward | PR | Total seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANC | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| DA | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| SACP | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Freedom Front Plus | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| EFF | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Thabazimbi Residents Association | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Labour Party of South Africa | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| United Residents Party | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Success African Movement | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Council size: 23 seats. Majority: 12. No party has it (ESP / Rateweb / The Outlier from IEC data).
How did the vote share look?
On the ward ballot, ESP puts the ANC on 28.7% (6,805 of 23,747 valid ward votes), down about 18.6 percentage points from 47.3% in 2021. The DA is second on 19.2%, the SACP third on 12.3%, Freedom Front Plus fourth on 9.5% and the EFF fifth on 7.6%.
Mandate SA and Rateweb's combined ward-plus-PR totals put the ANC on about 29.1% (about 13,900 votes), the DA on 19.0% (about 9,071), the SACP on 12.3% (about 5,889), Freedom Front Plus on about 9.5% and the EFF on about 7.7%.
The ANC took 8 of 12 wards. The DA won 3 wards and the SACP won 1 ward (Ward 7). Freedom Front Plus, the EFF and the smaller local parties entered the council only through PR seats (ESP).
Turnout on ESP's PR-ballot calculation is about 44.9% (about 24,496 of 54,566 registered voters). The IEC figure ESP cites is 45.1%.
What happens next in Thabazimbi?
Because no party has 12 seats, parties will need a coalition or minority deal to elect a speaker and executive mayor. Under the Municipal Structures Act, the first meeting of a new council must be held within 14 days of the IEC declaring the results. Councillors elect the speaker first, then the mayor.
The DA (4), SACP (3), Freedom Front Plus (2), EFF (2) and the four one-seat parties can decide which bloc reaches 12. No deal has been confirmed in the sources above. The SACP in Thabazimbi said it was unsurprised by another hung outcome and pointed to past instability in the municipality (SABC News).
Rateweb's Limpopo summary shows 20 of 22 councils in the province fully counted, with 9 hung, including Thabazimbi (Rateweb Limpopo).
The IEC is still expected to announce final national results on Sunday 8 November 2026 around 17:30 Africa/Johannesburg (Inside Politics).
For the national hung-council picture, see our 122 hung councils update. For the mayor timeline rules, see 14 days to elect a mayor.
Where to check your ward
Use the IEC results dashboard, ESP's Thabazimbi page, or Mandate SA's Thabazimbi page. Figures stay provisional until the IEC's formal declaration.
FAQ
Did the ANC win Thabazimbi outright?
No. The ANC has 8 of 23 seats on provisional IEC figures. A majority needs 12, so the council is hung (ESP / Rateweb / The Outlier / Mandate SA).
What is the Thabazimbi seat split?
ANC 8, DA 4, SACP 3, Freedom Front Plus 2, EFF 2, and one seat each for Thabazimbi Residents Association, Labour Party of South Africa, United Residents Party and Success African Movement (ESP from IEC data).
Is this Thabazimbi's first hung council?
No. SABC News reports it is the third consecutive hung council in Thabazimbi since 2016.
When must Thabazimbi elect a mayor?
The first council meeting must be held within 14 days of the IEC declaring the results. Parties need a coalition or minority deal because no party has 12 seats.
How far is counting in Thabazimbi?
ESP, Rateweb, The Outlier and Mandate SA show all 58 voting districts and all 12 wards complete as of Saturday 7 November 2026. Seats stay provisional until the IEC formally declares the council.