PRETORIA, Friday 13 November 2026 — The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has confirmed that four ward contests in the 4 November local government elections were decided by drawing lots after candidates received equal numbers of votes.
The commission disclosed the outcomes in a statement on Thursday outlining the final administrative steps required before the country’s newly elected municipal councils can be constituted.
The four contests occurred in Ward 7 of Mnquma Municipality in the Eastern Cape, Ward 14 of Maluti-a-Phofung Municipality in the Free State, Ward 5 of Ba-Phalaborwa Municipality in Limpopo and Ward 17 of Steve Tshwete Municipality in Mpumalanga.
Under the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, a tied ward election must produce a definitive result, with the law providing for the outcome to be determined by lot.
The IEC did not identify the successful candidates in the statement, but confirmed that the four contests had been resolved using the prescribed procedure.
The announcement comes as the commission finalises the designation of councillors following the declaration of election results on Sunday, 8 November.
The IEC said political parties had been notified where they nominated fewer proportional representation candidates than the number of seats allocated to them. Affected parties were given until 17:00 on Wednesday, 11 November, to supplement their lists.
The commission stressed that this process did not permit parties to replace existing candidates or rearrange their lists.
A separate process applies to candidates who qualify for more than one council seat. Parties and independent candidates must choose which seat will be accepted.
According to the IEC, failure to make the required choice could result in a candidate’s name being deleted from the relevant list. Where that deletion affects a ward seat, a by-election would follow.
The commission said it would publish the final names of elected councillors in the Government Gazette once the outstanding designation processes were completed.
A total of 10,526 council seats are available through the 2026 local government elections, including 8,825 local council seats and 1,701 district council seats.
Of the district council seats, 994 remain to be filled indirectly through representatives elected by local councils.
Municipal managers must convene inaugural council meetings within the statutory period after councillors have been declared elected.
The IEC has urged political parties and elected representatives to comply with the remaining deadlines to allow municipal councils to begin their new terms without unnecessary delays.
