A map illustrating the distribution of ward election results across Msukaligwa Local Municipality.
In a major breaking news development, the ANC has lost its outright majority in the Msukaligwa Local Municipality following the 4 November 2026 local government elections, marking a significant shift in the municipality's political landscape.
According to election results, the ANC secured approximately 36.6% of the vote and 14 of the municipality's 38 council seats, down from 24 seats in the 2021 elections.
The MK Party emerged as the second-largest party with eight seats, followed by the DA with six.
The distribution of seats among political parties in the 38-seat Msukaligwa Municipal Council following the 2026 local government elections.
Council seat distribution:
- ANC – 14 seats
- MK Party – 8 seats
- DA – 6 seats
- EFF – 2 seats
- Msukaligwa People First – 2 seats
- SACP – 2 seats
- FF Plus – 2 seats
- Service Delivery Party – 1 seat
- Patriotic Alliance – 1 seat
The outcome confirms a continued decline in ANC support, with the party falling below the 50% threshold after previously maintaining an outright majority in Msukaligwa.
What happens next?
With 20 seats required for a majority, no single party can govern the municipality alone.
The newly elected council will therefore need cooperation between political parties to secure majority support for key decisions, including the election of the executive mayor and speaker.
The coming days will determine how political parties approach negotiations and what leadership arrangements emerge for Msukaligwa's next five-year term.
National and provincial election picture
The ANC is also recording support below 50% nationally and in Mpumalanga as vote counting continues.
According to the IEC results dashboard, the ANC had secured 31.93% nationally, followed by the DA with 24.37% and the MK Party with 9.21%. Counting was approximately 73% complete.
In Mpumalanga, the ANC remained the leading party with 44.96% support, followed by the DA at 13.52% and the EFF at 10.58%. Approximately 83% of the provincial count had been completed.
These provisional results point to a wider decline in ANC electoral support, with the final national and provincial picture still to be determined as outstanding votes are counted.