Tshwane - Nationally, despite its dismal numbers, the ANC remained in the lead with 46% of support, with 97% of the results in by 7.30am on Thursday.
The IEC expected results to be completed by the crack of dawn. However, the final stages of processing in some areas still needed to take place.
The final results are expected to be announced later this evening.
Nationally, the main opposition party, the DA, stood at 21.27% and the EFF at 10.39%.
In the 2016 municipal elections, the ANC had 53.91% of the votes nationally, the DA 26.9% and the EFF 8.19%.
By 7.30am on Thursday, the ANC had clinched 154 councils, 4 186 seats and, so far, 10 410 282 votes nationally. The DA had won 23 councils, 1 228 seats and 4 813 935 votes, and the EFF had no councils, 763 seats and 2 350 947 votes.
Of the ANC’s 153 councils, they had control in 114, and of the DA’s 23, they had control in 11.
The IFP has 5.57% of support nationally, an increase from 4.25% in 2016 and 452 seats. The party also clinched 12 councils and was in control of eight of them.
According to the results, of the 213 councils, by 7.30am, 62 councils were hung, 18 were not counted, and 133 were controlled.
In the Gauteng metros, the ANC and DA were battling it out for Tshwane. The ANC was at 33,82%, the DA at 32,81% and the EFF at 10,62%.
ActionSA was at 8,58% and FF Plus 8.05% in Tshwane.
In the City of Johannesburg, the ANC was at 34,06%, the DA at 25,49%, ActionSA at 16,06% and the EFF at 10,75%.
In Ekurhuleni, the ANC scored 38,24% of the votes, the DA 28,63% , EFF 13,58% and ActionSA 6,6%.
The DA and ANC were neck and neck in Nelson Mandela Bay, with the DA at 39,92% and the ANC at 39,43% by 7.30am.
In eThekwini, the ANC was at 41,97%, DA 25,7%, EFF 10,44%, IFP 7,13%, ActionSA 1,93%.
Buffalo City brought through most of its support for the ANC with 59,46%, the DA was sitting at 19,64%, and the EFF at 11,95%.
The City of Cape Town results stood as follows: DA 59,77%, ANC 17,37%, Good 3,98%, EFF 3,85%.
kailene.pillay@inl.co.za
Political Bureau