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Newsbrief

IEC apologises for late ballots and sets new measures

Published

Ongoing: Elections Hot

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) says it has put measures in place for the second day of special voting. Late delivery of ballot papers delayed the opening of some voting stations on Monday, and voting did not take place at 12 stations in Limpopo.

Nkaro Mateta, the IEC's Provincial Electoral Officer in Limpopo, spoke about the 12 stations. They include one at Ga-Chokoe outside Mokopane. He said voter intimidation was reported at Ga-Chokoe during the last voter registration period.

Mateta said the intimidation meant some residents did not register or apply for special votes. He said some voters were threatened during the registration weekend. For two days, he said, no one came to check details, register or re-register.

Mateta spoke about election day, which is on Wednesday. He said: "We are hopeful that perhaps on election day, which is on Wednesday, this will be the last opportunity for them to decide who will lead their areas".

Key facts

Who
Independent Electoral Commission (electoral body that has put measures in place and apologised for delays); Nkaro Mateta (Provincial Electoral Officer in Limpopo)
What
The Independent Electoral Commission apologised for delays in opening some voting stations on Monday, which it attributed to late delivery of ballot papers. Voting did not take place at 12 stations in Limpopo, including one at Ga-Chokoe outside Mokopane, and the provincial electoral officer said voter intimidation was reported at Ga-Chokoe during the voter registration period.
When
3 November 2026
Where
Limpopo, Ga-Chokoe, Mokopane
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.

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US mid-terms Heating up

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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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