Church-led observers declare 2026 local elections free and fair
Ongoing: Elections Hot
A joint mission of the South African Council of Churches and two other groups, with 619 observers in all nine provinces, found no major issues of concern. The observers said the 54.5% turnout of registered voters is a concern.
The mission also includes the National Foundations Dialogue Initiative and the Women's Election Mechanism for Peace. In a preliminary statement, the observers said voting was peaceful and orderly. They praised the Electoral Commission (IEC), which ran the polls.
The observers said queue management and processing times must improve. They also pointed to technical problems with the voter management devices. One account said more than 80 per cent of stations had long queues.
The observers said violence before election day, including intimidation and political killings, was regrettable but did not materially affect the vote. They said high levels of non-participation limit how far results can reflect the will of the people. They also said all parties should accept the outcome with political maturity.
The groups said they will release a full report in due course.
Key facts
- Who
- South African Council of Churches (election observer group); National Foundations Dialogue Initiative (election observer group); Women's Election Mechanism for Peace (election observer group); Electoral Commission (electoral body whose commission was praised and whose voter management devices…)
- What
- The three observer groups, which deployed 619 observers across all nine provinces, said voting was peaceful and orderly and found no major issues of concern, while flagging turnout of 54.5 per cent, long queues and technical glitches with the electoral commission's voter management devices. A full report will be released in due course.
- When
- 7 November 2026
- Where
- South Africa
- Status
- Reported