uMzimkhulu council is hung: ANC 1 seat short with 21 of 43
uMzimkhulu has a hung council by one seat. With all 162 voting districts counted, the ANC has 21 of 43 seats, the MK Party 15, and the IFP, SACP and EFF 2 each. A party needs 22 to govern alone. Final results are due Sunday at 18:00.
uMzimkhulu, the southern KwaZulu-Natal municipality in the Harry Gwala District, has a hung council by a single seat. With all 162 voting districts counted, the ANC has 21 of the 43 seats, one short of the 22 needed to govern alone (The People's Register, using IEC data dated 14:46 SAST on 8 November 2026; also on ESP).
The ANC won 21 of the 22 wards, and the MK Party won Ward 19. The ANC's share of the ward vote fell to 49.5% from 72.9% in 2021, according to IEC data on ESP.
Who won how many seats?
| Party | Ward seats | PR seats | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANC | 21 | 0 | 21 |
| MK Party | 1 | 14 | 15 |
| Inkatha Freedom Party | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| SACP | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| EFF | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Democratic Alliance | 0 | 1 | 1 |
The ANC took 21 of the 22 ward seats but no PR seats, because its share of the overall vote is close to 21 of 43. The MK Party won only Ward 19, then received 14 PR seats. Source: The People's Register, IEC allocation 8 November 2026, 14:46 SAST; also ESP and Counted.
Turnout was 52.9% of 98,126 registered voters, with 50,980 valid ward votes (ESP).
How did the ward vote split?
| Party | Ward votes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| ANC | 25,252 | 49.5% |
| MK Party | 17,169 | 33.7% |
| SACP | 2,322 | 4.6% |
| Inkatha Freedom Party | 2,072 | 4.1% |
| EFF | 1,804 | 3.5% |
| Democratic Alliance | 1,112 | 2.2% |
Source: ESP. On the municipal PR ballot the split was similar: ANC 49.7% (25,345 votes) and the MK Party 34.1% (17,414 votes) (The People's Register).
How does this compare with 2021?
In 2021 the ANC held 33 of the 43 seats. This year it has 21, a drop of 12, while the MK Party enters the council with 15 seats. The EFF falls from 6 seats to 2, and the IFP rises from 1 to 2 (Counted).
What would it take to reach 22 seats?
This is seat arithmetic, not a prediction. No coalition had been announced in the sources used here.
| Combination | Seats |
|---|---|
| ANC + MK Party | 36 |
| ANC + IFP | 23 |
| ANC + SACP | 23 |
| ANC + EFF | 23 |
| ANC + DA | 22 |
| All five other parties together | 22 |
Because the ANC is one seat short, the support of any other party on the council is enough for a majority. A government without the ANC would need every other party to vote together.
When will uMzimkhulu 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
Use the IEC's results dashboard and search for uMzimkhulu (KZN435). Ward-by-ward results are also on ESP and The People's Register. Only the IEC's declaration is final.
FAQ
Is uMzimkhulu a hung council after the 2026 election?
Yes, by one seat. With all 162 voting districts counted, the ANC has 21 of 43 seats and needs 22 to govern alone. The IEC declares final results on Sunday 8 November at 18:00.
How many seats did each party win in uMzimkhulu?
ANC 21, MK Party 15, Inkatha Freedom Party 2, SACP 2, EFF 2 and the Democratic Alliance 1.
Which parties could give the ANC a majority in uMzimkhulu?
Any other party on the council would take the ANC to at least 22 seats, since it is only one short. No coalition had been announced in the sources used here.
When will uMzimkhulu 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.