The possibility of a coalition government in Enoch Mgijima Local Municipality remains as the ANC’s share of the vote continues to fall, with counting now at 82%.
According to the latest provisional results from the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on Thursday, 5 November 2026, the ANC remains in the lead with 46.69% of the vote, representing 44,319 votes.
This is a further drop from the 49.76% recorded earlier when counting stood at 53%.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) is in second place with 16.16%, followed by the South African Communist Party (SACP) on 9.95%. The Independents have increased their share to 7.86%, while the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) stand at 5.33%.
Counting is still in progress, and these figures could change as the remaining results are captured.
Enoch Mgijima has 68 council seats, with 35 needed for an outright majority. Should the ANC fail to secure enough seats once counting has been completed, it may need the support of another party to retain control of the municipality.
The SACP could be a possible coalition partner for the ANC. Although the two parties contested the elections separately, ANC Eastern Cape chairperson Oscar Mabuyane indicated in October that the parties should consider working together after the elections.
There is also the possibility of opposition parties joining forces if the ANC fails to secure a majority.
The Independents’ mayoral candidate, Komani businessman Ken Clark, has previously indicated that he would be open to a coalition, depending on which parties were involved and whether they could deliver improvements in the municipality.
This raises the possibility of The Independents working with the DA and other smaller parties, although no such agreement has been announced.
Should no party secure an outright majority, negotiations could determine which parties govern together and who takes up positions such as executive mayor and speaker.
For residents of Enoch Mgijima, the concern will be whether the next council can address the ongoing problems with water, electricity, roads and other municipal services.
The IEC dashboard currently shows 13 of the municipality’s 68 council seats allocated, with 11 going to the ANC, one to the DA and one to the SACP. These allocations do not represent the final composition of the council.
Although the ANC has dropped further below 50%, it remains the leading party, and the final outcome has not yet been determined.
With counting now at 82%, the remaining results will be important in determining whether the ANC can govern alone or whether Enoch Mgijima will require a coalition government.
The figures quoted reflect the provisional IEC results at 82% counted on Thursday, 5 November 2026. Counting is ongoing and results are subject to change.
