The MK Party has formally lodged an objection with the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) on 6 November 2026, citing alleged voting and counting irregularities in the eThekwini municipality during the ongoing local government election count. The party called for an immediate audit of disputed results, raising concerns over system failures and discrepancies between electronically captured results and physical results slips.
Mk Party acting secretary general Lindiwe Makubu submitted the objection under Section 65(1)(a) and (b) of the Local Government: Municipal Electoral Act 27 of 2000. According to a statement from the MK Party, the objection “raises concerns regarding reported system failures, discrepancies between electronically captured results and physical results slips, as well as irregularities in the counting, verification and reconciliation processes, particularly within the eThekwini municipality.”
“The MK Party regards this intervention as necessary to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process, ensure transparency and protect the democratic will of voters,” the statement added.
The IEC acknowledged delays in the eThekwini vote count, attributing them primarily to recounts and reconciliation procedures rather than confirmed system failures. Ntombfuthi Masinga, IEC KwaZulu-Natal electoral officer, explained that some ballots required recounts because the figures on results slips needed to match the total number of issued, spoiled, invalid, and valid ballots.
“Reason being there has to be a reconciliation that has to be done on the results slip which reflects the total number of ballots that were issued on the first day on Monday, up to the last day; the spoiled ballots, the invalid ballots and the valid ballots,” Masinga said.
On the timeline, the IEC reported on 5 November 2026 that vote counting was progressing steadily nationwide, but eThekwini’s process was slower due to these recount-related delays. By 6 November, the IEC publicly confirmed that recounts and reconciliation issues were behind the slow eThekwini count.
The IEC also reminded all political parties and the public that objections under Section 65 had to be submitted by 17:00 on 6 November, the deadline which the MK Party met with its formal objection.
At the time of reporting, the MK Party’s specific allegations regarding system failures, altered audit trails, and disparities between electronic and physical results slips remain unverified beyond the party’s own claims. The IEC has not confirmed these more detailed accusations. The final impact on council seats or control in eThekwini will only be clear after the IEC completes its verification processes and resolves all formal objections.
The MK Party’s objection highlights the ongoing tensions in eThekwini’s vote count amid a close and contested election. The IEC’s recount and verification procedures aim to ensure accuracy, but they have also prolonged the final announcement of results, affecting political certainty in the municipality.
CapeFlats.co.za will continue to monitor updates from the IEC and report on developments related to the eThekwini election count and related objections.