eThekwini:KwaZulu-Natal The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) in KwaZulu-Natal has urged political parties, independent candidates, and their supporters to remain patient as the counting and results capturing processes continue for the 2026 Local Government Elections. Provincial Electoral Officer Ntombifuthi Masinga emphasized the importance of adhering to established electoral procedures during this period.
According to South African Government News Agency, Masinga also advised against the spread of unverified information or disinformation about the election results, highlighting that such actions could lead to unnecessary tensions and undermine public confidence. The counting process is reportedly progressing smoothly at all voting stations, with 35% of the expected results slips received and 31.3% scanned into the results system as of 12 pm on Thursday.
Masinga reported the completion of results from two smaller municipalities, Endumeni and Emadlangeni, which are currently undergoing the auditing process. In eThekwini, the largest municipality in the province, Area Managers are actively transporting results to the Provincial Results Operations Centre, and Commission officials are addressing exceptions flagged by the results system to ensure accuracy.
Preliminary figures show a voter turnout of 49% in KwaZulu-Natal, with 2,937,250 voters recorded, placing the province second nationally after Gauteng. Additionally, the province faced power outages affecting eight voting stations in the KwaMakhutha area and a tragic incident where an elderly woman passed away in Ward 72. The Commission extended condolences to the bereaved family.