Pretoria:The Electoral Commission (IEC) has reported significant progress in the 2026 Local Government Elections, reaching a 91% national result completion rate by 5 pm on Friday.
According to South African Government News Agency, the Commission expects to receive a total of 66,073 result slips from 23,696 voting stations. Results have been finalized in 150 out of 213 municipalities, excluding the 44 District Councils. Notably, all municipalities in the Northern Cape have completed results.
The completion rates by province are as follows Northern Cape has achieved 100%, Free State 98%, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga both at 95%, Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal at 92%, North West at 87%, Limpopo at 86%, and Gauteng at 75%. The remaining results are primarily in metropolitan municipal areas where higher population density leads to more voting districts, and the increased participation by contestants has resulted in longer ballots and result slips.
The IEC reminds all stakeholders that results remain provisional until all objections and verification processes have been concluded. It urges political parties, independent candidates, the media, and the public to rely solely on officially verified results published by the Commission.
Additionally, the Commission addressed and dismissed social media claims that ballots in Wards 4 and 23 in Emalahleni Local Municipality, Mpumalanga, were being withheld due to exceeding the number of registered voters. The Commission clarified that the official voter turnout in these wards is just over 50%, which is below the registered voter population.
The Commission also refuted another claim that a municipal official voted four times, explaining that the voter went to the wrong voting district and was then directed to the correct one. Voting more than once is not possible as a voter may only cast a ballot in the district where they are registered.
The IEC has called on citizens to verify social media claims before sharing them, warning that spreading false information can breach the Electoral Code of Conduct and the Disinformation Code. The Commission reiterated its commitment to finalizing results swiftly while ensuring accuracy, transparency, and integrity in the electoral process.