October 2026

The polls also look at eThekwini. They project that the MK Party will be the largest party there, with more than 40% of the vote.

The same polls project much lower support for the MK Party in Tshwane and Johannesburg. Coalitions have governed both cities since 2016.Share

Bold is a senior economist at the Bureau for Economic Research. She spoke in an interview with CapeTalk presenter John Maytham. She said refinery supply around the globe is wearing thin and that earlier buffers from the start of the war are gone.

She said the Reserve Bank was right to raise the repo rate in September. On the risk of another increase, she said: "It would be a double whammy if another hike were to come through."

Treasury said it can afford only R10 billion in fuel support for November and December. It said the money is a fiscally neutral transfer between the Central Energy Fund and the National Revenue Fund. Bold said Treasury will always offer support if it is fiscally neutral, and she cited talks on the sidelines of the Medium Term Budget Policy Statement.

Bold said the oil price may keep hovering between $110 and $120.Share

The IEC has focused on young people ahead of the elections on 4 November 2026. The share of candidates aged 18 to 39 is over 32%.

Sydney Keya, a third-year journalism student at the Durban University of Technology, is reporting on youth and politics. One report described the candidate pool as an unprecedented push for fresh leadership and community-led solutions.Share

The EFF will hold its final rally at Orlando Stadium on Saturday. The rally is expected to start at around 3 o'clock. Maotwe said it will mark the end of the party's local government election campaign.

Maotwe said the party is confident it has resonated with people on the ground. The party is hopeful its campaigning will pay off on election day.Share

The organisation recorded the killings in its assassinations database. Attacks happened in seven provinces this year. KwaZulu-Natal had 16 incidents and Gauteng had 10.

Rademeyer spoke in an interview with 702 and CapeTalk. He said the killings have a "very corrosive impact" on South Africa's electoral processes and democracy. He said at least eight witnesses in cases were killed this year, and called witness protection a serious weakness in the state's response.

Rademeyer said investigations often end in the arrest of gunmen, not the people who ordered the attacks. He said hitmen are available from the taxi industry, hostel systems or gang areas. He also said political killings tend to occur in the run-up to elections and sometimes afterwards, not usually on polling day.Share

The team invented a ward candidate, Mila Sanderveld, of a fictional party called the Koraalduin Civic Movement. It used tools including ChatGPT and Magic Hour. Total AI processing time was seven minutes and 13 seconds, and the first candidate photograph took 1 minute and 34 seconds.

The material included campaign posters, a fake social media post, a fake old X post and a short video. A fake Facebook screenshot showed invented engagement of 342 reactions, 196 comments and 87 shares. The authors said the material would be vaguely convincing at a quick scroll.

The authors said they used no real politicians, parties or municipalities, and did not circulate the results as genuine campaign material. They said the elections will likely see hundreds of generative AI attempts to mislead voters. Real411 has recorded 516 complaints related to the elections.

The Independent Electoral Commission introduced an Electoral Code of Conduct Countering Disinformation.Share

The candidates say officials altered and manipulated the lists submitted to the Electoral Commission. They say communities nominated and elected them in line with the party's constitution.

The MKP has removed two senior officials, Sibonelo Maphumulo and Zandile Hlophe-Mkhwanazi, over the candidate submissions. It also relieved Secretary-General Sbonelo Nomvalo of his duties. Party members told the gathering they are not satisfied with these steps.

Sthembiso Lamjola spoke for the excluded candidates. He said: "Our position is that we wish those unlawful candidates to be dismissed and expelled from the organisation." He also said the will of the people has been compromised and jeopardised.Share

The Department of Home Affairs said the longer hours apply at all its front offices. The election-day hours of 7am to 9pm match the operating hours of the Electoral Commission of South Africa.

The department asked people who applied for identity documents to collect them and vote. The Electoral Commission (IEC) reminded voters that they need an acceptable ID at voting stations.Share

Macpherson said Moriel Group may have misrepresented its financial and technical capabilities to win public sector contracts. He said the firm may not have been suitably qualified for that work. He also said the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) began its investigation into Moriel Group in 2025, before a viral video circulated.

Macpherson warned of the cost of such cases. He said: "These create risk of delays, abandoned projects and financial losses, and ultimately citizens suffer the cost".

An industry expert called the blacklisting necessary and long overdue. Brian Tloubatla, a tender administrator at Shad Holdings, said firms that gain higher designations through misrepresentation displace honest, capable contractors, including smaller and emerging enterprises.

Matakanye Matakanye, general secretary of the National Association of School Governing Bodies, welcomed the move. He claimed some contractors received 50% of the tender and then abandoned projects. He said schools and stadiums stand unfinished because contractors lacked the track record to deliver.Share

The protest brought traffic on the M1 to a standstill near Braamfontein. Reports differ on the charge: one says public violence, the other says incitement of public violence.

The dispute is with the City of Johannesburg over a wage agreement. The union says the deal dates from 2016 and that the city has failed to honour it. It says the amount owed grew to about R10.3 billion, and only R1.2 billion has been paid.

Samwu says workers expected a payment of more than R5 billion in July this year. Regional Secretary Thobani Nkosi said members are now told they will be paid next year. The union says the city has proposed a different payment timeline.

Nkosi said: "We demand our money and we demand the release of these comrades. We will not leave the streets of Joburg until the employer does something."Share

The DA's candidate is Khathutshelo Rasilingwane, 36, a member of the Gauteng Legislature. The EFF has chosen Nthabiseng Tshivhenga, 43, a former Ekurhuleni Speaker. ActionSA's candidate is Xolani Khumalo, 36, a media personality and anti-drug activist.

Xhakaza is 49. Former Ekurhuleni Finance MMC Jongizizwe Dlabathi is also competing for the ANC candidacy. Minor parties have candidates too: Themba "skeem GP" Nzimande for Afrika Mayibuye, and Thulani Shongwe for the Umkhonto We Sizwe Party. Shongwe is an MP and sits on Parliament's ad hoc committee on SAPS criminality.

Corruption allegations mark the race. Reports said Xhakaza's administration since 2024 faces corruption allegations, and several current and former senior managers face criminal charges. Chief forensic auditor Mpho Mafole was killed in June last year, allegedly before he reported an irregular tender worth over a billion rand.

Tshivhenga was accused of taking kickbacks from service providers, and Khumalo faces legal issues linked to filming Sizok'thola. Murder charges from a 2023 matter against him have been provisionally withdrawn. The DA has been accused of failing to prevent alleged criminal infiltration of the City.Share

The attempted hijacking happened in Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, at 8.05pm on 9 October 2026. A car tracker dashcam recorded it, and the video went viral. Hill is a professional bodyguard.

The campaign page says Hill faces unexpected legal expenses and the children need ongoing professional trauma counselling. Organisers said the full cost of legal fees and long-term therapy is not yet clear.

Reports said one of the suspected hijackers was shot dead during the confrontation. A 35-year-old suspect was arrested in connection with the attempt.

Hill spoke to a local newspaper about the support. He said: "I thank everyone for everything, the R10, R20, R50. It means so much to me and my children."Share

Wonder Ngcobo, a resident of Ebubendeni in Swayimane, said: "We have to get the water from the river because we don't have taps in our homes." Dolly Maphumulo, who hand-washes clothes in a river in Swayimane, said she has given up on the water situation. Residents also say people have been hurt, sometimes fatally, while crossing the river when it overflows.

uMshwathi Local Municipality has 14 wards and an annual budget of about R300 million. Opposition parties say they are ready to unseat the ANC there. Democratic Alliance caucus leader Raganie Thomas links all the service delivery failures to the ANC. The DA holds two seats in the council and plans to grow that number.

Inkatha Freedom Party leader Mzwandile Majozi said his party is sure it will take over. MK Party regional spokesperson Sakhile Ngcobo said the party will have a majority if it repeats its 2024 result of 54,99% in the area. The ANC said it is confident it will keep its majority now that its legal fight with the Electoral Commission of South Africa is over.Share

Ndlovu said 156 people will get full-time jobs when the market is fully operational. He said indirect jobs will be close to 156 000.

The market is described as an initiative to drive economic growth. It aims to link small-scale farmers with international, regional and local buyers.

Ndlovu said: "We are happy that this market will help us achieve one of our priority areas, which is job creation."Share

Net interest income rose 6% to $9.3 billion, helped by higher interest rates. Revenue was $18.6 billion, up from $17.8 billion a year earlier, but below analyst expectations of $18.93 billion. Operating expenses fell 12% to $8.8 billion.

Expected credit losses were $800 million, down 17% from a year earlier. A year earlier, the bank had recorded legal provisions of $1.4 billion. Revenue in the wealth division was flat at $2.7 billion.

HSBC approved a third interim dividend of 10 cents per share. The dividend and the buyback are both unchanged from the previous quarter. Reports put the fall in the Hong Kong share price at 2.95% and at 5%.Share

The Hawks announced the sentence. Officers found the mortar bomb in Mugabe's travel bag at the Lebombo Port of Entry. The Hawks said the device posed a serious threat to public safety and national security.

Hawks Mpumalanga provincial head Major General Nico Gerber commented on the case. He said "the sentence sends a strong warning to criminals seeking to use South Africa's borders to move dangerous weapons and explosives".

The South African Police Service and the South African Revenue Service took part in the joint border security operation.Share

The Democratic Alliance (DA) governs the council with 134 seats. The ANC has 43 seats, the EFF has 10 and GOOD has nine. In the 2021 local elections the DA won 58.3% of the vote, down from 66.6% in 2016. The ANC won 18.6%, down from 24.3%, and the EFF won 4.1%, up from 3.1%.

About 18.2% of residents live below the poverty line. The Gini coefficient, a measure of inequality, was 0.61 in 2022, down from 0.68 in 2002. In the 2022 census, 87.5% of households lived in formal housing and 11.7% in informal housing.

In 2022, 85.4% of households had piped water inside the home, up from 75% in 2011. Some 91.4% had refuse removal and 92.4% had access to sanitation. In 2024/25 the city reported that it met 81% of its basic service delivery targets but only 38% of its housing targets. It spent 92.3% of its capital budget.

Cape Town produces 72% of the Western Cape economy and 11% of national GDP. Direct tourism spending reached R24.5 billion in 2025 and supported more than 106,000 jobs. In a July 2026 ruling on the Tafelberg site sale, the Constitutional Court found that the city and the provincial government had perpetuated spatial apartheid.

President Cyril Ramaphosa criticised the city's service delivery record and spending priorities in October 2025. An Africa Check investigation found that claims Cape Town was the worst metro at expanding service access were misleading. It also found no evidence for claims that the city favoured affluent areas.Share

Online advertisements say lower offers may be considered. A private sale of the properties fell through last year. It was agreed at 46% below the municipal value.

Knoop, of Manci Knoop Financial Services, is the business rescue practitioner for Confident Concept. He said: "We’ve been battling to find buyers due to the stigma associated with the properties, and because of the poor state they’re in". He said he hopes to have a sale soon.

Atul Gupta and Rajesh Gupta are wanted in South Africa on money laundering and fraud charges. The Guptas and former president Jacob Zuma have denied any wrongdoing.Share

The event was held with the South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA) and Standard Bank. Rodgers told young entrepreneurs to build businesses on hard work, integrity and sound financial management.

Rodgers said South Africa does not lack policies, commissions or turnaround plans for state-owned enterprises (SOEs). He said the country needs political will and institutional discipline to carry out real reform.

He said continued bailouts put pressure on public finances. In his view, they divert money from schools, clinics, roads and water infrastructure. He added that government support may give temporary relief but cannot replace structural reforms.

Rodgers also said: "Public financial support cannot be a blank cheque."Share

Hill-Lewis is the DA candidate seeking a second term as mayor. He spoke to party supporters in Blouberg in the final week before the elections. He said a weaker DA showing could give the ANC, the EFF and smaller parties more influence over the city's government.

Hill-Lewis said coalition-run cities suffer chaos. He described them as places with "Mayors in and out, changing every few months, service delivery going down, and the people being forgotten".

The DA won 58.26% of the vote in the City of Cape Town in the 2021 local government elections. The recent polls of around 51% raise concern that its outright majority could be under threat.Share

The vehicle was reported stolen at Durban North police station on Monday, 26 October 2026. Hluhluwe police later saw it on the R22 towards Mbazwana. Police said the driver realised officers were chasing him, left the bakkie and fled on foot.

Police spokesperson Sergeant Thenjiswa Ngcobo said a search of the vehicle led to the discovery of a cloned ignition key. The recovery followed a multidisciplinary operation in Manguzi, in the uMkhanyakude District.

Reports said the area is known for cross-border criminal activity, with syndicates targeting bakkies.Share

The European Investment Bank made the loan to Airbus in June. Greer said in a statement that the loan creates uncertainty for aerospace trade across the Atlantic. He said it risks breaking the terms of the large civil aircraft deal.

An Airbus spokesman said the loan is "a standard corporate financing facility, similar to commercially-available loans we've signed in the past." The spokesman said it was meant to diversify the company's funding sources.

The European Investment Bank denied that it gave Airbus any unusual support. Airbus finance chief Thomas Toepfer said the loan was taken out completely at market level. Boeing asked the US government in July to press for transparency on the loan.Share

Mashatile said responsible voting honours the sacrifices made to win the nation's freedom. He said: "Responsible voting is therefore an act of remembrance."

He also said citizens must use their right to vote responsibly. Government has a duty to address poverty, unemployment, crime, inequality and gender-based violence, he said.

Tambo died in April 1993. South Africans cast votes in the first democratic election in 1994.Share

Macpherson said the 13 contractors will be added to the blacklist of the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) this month. The board regulates and develops the construction sector. He said the board has stepped up its efforts to find and remove contractors who misrepresented themselves or broke the conditions of their registration.

Macpherson said public money has been wasted on projects that were delayed, abandoned or poorly done. He said honest contractors have had to compete against those who manipulate the system. He also said the industry has long suffered from non-performance, misrepresentation and a lack of consequences.

The board blacklisted only one contractor between 2002 and 2024.Share

The criticism follows the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement that Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana delivered last week. The Budget Office said South Africa performs poorly against other countries in International Monetary Fund (IMF) data. It said this will continue for the next two years.

Seeraj Mohamed, deputy director of the Budget Office, said the artificial intelligence boom in developed countries cannot be seen as a positive sign for government finances. He said the boom leads to a sell-off of government bonds and a search for investments in emerging markets. He also said South Africa remains an outlier on unemployment compared with India, Brazil and Mexico.

Parliament's economists said the limit on spending has added to large backlogs in infrastructure and socio-economic improvement. Mohamed said: "We clearly don’t have the resilience that we are talking about or thinking about, and we really need to rethink how we measure resilience and economic performance"Share

Morero spoke on the Sizwe Mpofu-Walsh Xperience, which aired on Monday night. He said the water challenges do not come from leaks or infrastructure problems but from consumption. He also admitted: "We're losing a lot of water".

Morero said Rand Water told the city it cannot supply more water than its licence allows. He said the city needs more resources and the funding model for municipalities must change. He expects a battle with the water supply for the next few weeks because of heat-related consumption.

The Portfolio Committee on Water and Sanitation puts Johannesburg's non-revenue water at 44.8%. Leaks make up 35% of that share. Rand Water has warned that consumption by several municipal customers reached exceptionally high levels and put severe pressure on the system.Share

Lamola called for a collective African response to irregular migration. He said countries across the continent must address it through dialogue.

He said research by Afrobarometer points to a rising problem. In his words: "The recent Afrobarometer research shows growing hostility towards migrants is a concerning reality across the continent."Share

Hill-Lewis said 51% or 52% support for the DA would be "too close for comfort". The DA's own polling puts its support in Cape Town at 51%. The party won 58% in 2021.

He named the ANC and the EFF as coalition risks. He said coalition governments elsewhere bring unstable leadership and falling service delivery, with mayors changing every few months.

Hill-Lewis also campaigned at Bloubergstrand on the West Coast. There he cited the water situation in Tshwane as an example. He claimed Tshwane lied to residents for three weeks about the water not being safe to drink.

He also said more than 800 people became seriously ill, and called the problem a symptom of a coalition government. These are his claims.Share

Werner Pretorius is the DA candidate and chairs the Free State DA. He has been a Free State member of the provincial legislature since 2024. He called Mangaung the country's worst-run metro and said the city is in intensive care. His campaign message is "Building a city of opportunity for all."

Sam Matiase is the EFF candidate. He is an EFF MP and a member of the party's Central Command Team. His family was evicted in 1986 and moved to Botshabelo. Matiase said the ANC is corrupt. EFF leader Julius Malema pledged at the party's manifesto launch to end cadre deployment.

Elizabeth Snyman-van Deventer is the FF+ candidate and a Mangaung councillor. She has lived in the metro for 39 years and served on the council for two decades. She said experienced leadership, rigorous oversight and sound financial management can turn the metro around. The FF+ has gained five council seats in Mangaung across recent local government elections.

Mayor Gregory Nthatisi described the DA's legal action over Lourier Park as a regrettable moment for South Africa's democracy. Thabo Manyoni, a former Mangaung mayor and chair of the Municipal Demarcation Board, is on the ANC shortlist.Share

Gupta faces charges of murder, contravening the Immigration Act, driving without a valid licence and malicious damage to property. Police allege he drove over Nortman, 53, who was on duty and worked in the North West provincial crime intelligence division. She later died of her injuries.

Police said a BMW SUV struck her while she crossed the driveway at Lichtenburg Mall. The alleged incident happened on 19 October. Police said emergency medical services took her to hospital.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lindiwe Mabasa said Gupta has no valid papers to stay in South Africa. She said he allegedly entered the country on a visitor's visa in 2024, which has expired.

The case returns to court on 6 November, when Gupta is expected to apply for bail. Friends of Nortman oppose bail. Her friend Anton van Eeden described her as "A very loving, caring person. Always willing to assist anybody".Share