Doha:KwaZulu-Natal KwaZulu-Natal has achieved a voter turnout of 48.7% in the 2026 Local Government Elections, as reported by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) in the province. This turnout exceeds the national average of 45.8%, marking a significant participation rate in the region.

According to South African Government News Agency, Provincial Electoral Officer Ntombifuthi Masinga expressed satisfaction with the turnout, despite the commission's aspiration to surpass the 50% mark. During a media briefing held after the voting stations closed on Wednesday night, Masinga conveyed appreciation to the voters and noted that the commission was still in the process of capturing the remaining results.

At the time of the briefing, only 18% of the results had been recorded, with 12% undergoing the auditing process. Masinga emphasized that auditing is crucial for verifying the accuracy of the results captured on the commission’s system against those recorded at voting stations. Until this independent verification is complete, the results will not be available on the commission's dashboard.

Masinga also explained that while political parties might appear to advance in reporting results due to their agents photographing and submitting results slips, the IEC is obligated to conduct an independent audit before publicly sharing the results. The commission is prioritizing the completion of the capturing and auditing processes, with political parties and candidates having until 5 p.m. on Friday to lodge objections under Section 65 of the Electoral Act.

These objections can concern any electoral process aspect where a party or candidate believes that the integrity of the results may have been compromised. A panel of legal practitioners has been appointed by the commission to investigate any objections before the deadline. The IEC plans to announce the final election results on Sunday after resolving all objections. Subsequently, the results will be published in the Government Gazette within seven days, and the election of municipal council office-bearers must occur within 14 days of publication.