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Comedian KG Mokgadi says satire helps voters before elections

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Ongoing: Elections Hot

Kagiso "KG" Mokgadi, host of the news and comedy show Politically Aweh, says laughter and satire matter in South Africa ahead of the local government elections on 4 November. He argues news should not leave people depressed.

Mokgadi spoke after the Poll Dancing live show at the Star Theatre in Cape Town. From the stage he said: "Comedy helps us listen to each other". He told the audience at the end that "democracy is hard".

Mokgadi says comedy can be a tool for education and understanding. He also says there was a real need for satire in a news setting, to give important information in a fun and accessible format.

Stephen Horn, the CEO and creative director of Politically Aweh, said the show was born out of a crazy idea. He said the idea was to make compelling content about politics for young people in South Africa. Zoë Human co-hosts the show.

Politically Aweh began in 2017. It won a South African Film and Television Award for Best Online Content in 2022.

Key facts

Who
Kagiso Mokgadi (comedian and host of Politically Aweh); Stephen Horn (CEO and creative director of Politically Aweh); Zoë Human (co-host of Politically Aweh); Politically Aweh (news and comedy show)
What
Profile interview with comedian Kagiso "KG" Mokgadi, who hosts Politically Aweh, about why laughter and satire matter in South Africa during the run-up to the 2026 local government elections on 4 November. He argues comedy helps people listen to each other and that news should not depress people.
When
26 October 2026
Where
Cape Town, South Africa
Status
Reported

Elections Hot

What you need to know

Voting in the 2026 Local Government Elections is under way at 23,696 stations, and the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) reported a smooth start on 4 November. Stations opened at 7am and close at 9pm, and by 10am preliminary figures showed 3,523,691 voters had cast ballots.

There were problems: unused ballot papers were stolen from Mnyameni Secondary School near Durban, police opened a case, and the IEC relieved the station staff of duty. Some voters in Tshwane said they were turned away for wearing party shirts, but the IEC denied this and said only mayoral candidates' entourages were barred.

ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe told members not to query the results or discredit the IEC, while the IEC said false online claims show routine procedures as fraud.

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Democrats won back both the US House and Senate in the midterm elections held on 3 November, according to media projections. Exit polls showed voters were angry about high prices and the direction of the country, and rebuked President Donald Trump.

Before the vote, US forces struck targets on Qeshm Island in Iran, while Republicans struggled to defend the war against Iran on the campaign trail. Iranian officials said US voters rejected the war, and Tehran stayed on high alert for possible new US strikes.

Markets reacted, with the dollar hitting a one-month low and the rand firming to around R16.55, as analysts pointed to fears of gridlock in Washington.

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Elsewhere, reports from unnamed sources say OpenAI's latest funding round is falling short of expectations, and a judge let the NAACP pollution case against xAI proceed. In South Africa, the VAST AI investment scheme went offline on 30 October after withdrawals marked approved did not arrive, according to a news investigation.

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