Elections Hot

Mawethu Mosery, the IEC Deputy Chief Electoral Officer, said these people were alive when the roll was finalised. He said that is why their names may still appear as registered voters.

Mosery said voters must still show valid identification at voting stations. He added that deceased people appear in the rejected section at the back of the roll.Share

Preliminary indications were that 3.5 million voters had cast ballots by 10am. The IEC said voting went well overall, although glitches affected some stations.

A police officer was removed from election duty after allegedly arriving at a KwaZulu-Natal polling station in a vehicle branded with posters of a political party. The officer faces possible disciplinary processes.

In Limpopo, police arrested a party agent. The agent allegedly filmed an IEC official counting envelopes that held ballot papers, then gave feedback to the area manager. The agent allegedly showed the video to other party agents, who entered the voting station and caused disruptions.Share

EFF Cape Town mayoral candidate Nontando Nolotshungu said the burst pipe showed poor service delivery to townships by the Democratic Alliance (DA). She said nothing had been done about it by 2:10pm.

ANC supporter Fundilwazi Sityoshwana said Langa needs new sewers. He said the system was not built for the number of people who now live in the township.

Nolotshungu also said an EFF city government would stop all sales of City-owned land. She said the party would use the land to build housing instead.

Up to 20 people share one bathroom in the former men-only hostel in Langa.Share

Ntombifuthi Masinga, the KwaZulu-Natal provincial electoral officer, said the theft exposes a risk across the whole metro. She said the PR ballot is the same at every voting station in eThekwini. She said parties and voters should be alert across the metro.

Masinga also said any stolen ballot would be easy to identify, because it would carry the wrong station stamp. She said the commission was comfortable with its checks and balances. Ward 2 has 21 voting stations and 56 candidates on its ballot.

Elsewhere, the commission said 5,028 voting stations were prepared across KwaZulu-Natal, which has 6,022,350 registered voters. Logistical problems delayed 50 stations in Ndwedwe. Three stations in Umzumbe could not be reached because the roads were inaccessible. SAPS and the SANDF are assisting in both areas.

Over two days, 234,297 of 362,878 approved special votes were cast in the province. That is a turnout of 65%.Share

Moses, an IEC regional manager, said ordinary voters in party T-shirts were allowed to vote. He said only the group travelling with Omphile Maotwe, the EFF Tshwane mayoral candidate, was stopped from entering a station. The DA and EFF said ordinary residents may wear party colours when they vote. They said only party agents may not wear regalia inside polling stations.

The DA and the EFF also complained that presiding officers restricted journalists who covered their mayoral candidates. The parties named the His Sanctuary Ministry voting station in Montana, Ward 5. They called the treatment of the media an overreach of authority. Maotwe said the IEC must address the matter and that the presiding officers at that station should be removed.

Masego Sheburi, the IEC deputy chief electoral officer for electoral operations, said the problem was resolved. He said the IEC reminded voting stations that the media may conduct interviews without permission from presiding officers. He said journalists need no separate accreditation.Share

Mantashe voted at Freeway Park Primary School in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni. He said he gave the ANC eight votes from his family. He said it was the last time he would vote as an ANC leader, and that his term ends in December 2027.

He said the ANC must give the IEC credibility even if members are unhappy with the results. He said other parties like to discredit the commission. The results are due at the weekend.

Mantashe said polls show the ANC losing more ground, especially in metros. He claimed support in eThekwini could collapse because of the MK Party. He also said the ANC's grip is slipping in Buffalo City and Mangaung, the only metros it runs with an outright majority.

On coalitions, he said the ANC must first try to win as many municipalities as it can on its own. Asked about the government of national unity, he said the party is trying to make it work and that it sometimes does and sometimes does not.Share

Other false posts say asylum seekers and undocumented foreign nationals are being registered to vote. A fake poll graphic claimed the ANC had 43% support in Tshwane and said President Cyril Ramaphosa promised to protect ANC members from corruption charges. Africa Check found that claim to be fabricated.

A widely shared video showed a ballot box in Rustenburg. Africa Check investigated it and found the box was sealed and labelled as a home-visit ballot box.

The IEC said ordinary steps, such as video of staff returning and checking special-vote materials, are presented as proof of fraud. It said these unproven fraud claims undermine confidence in the election. The IEC also reported some genuine election-related offences, including arrests. Reports said it received more than 700 disinformation complaints.Share

President Cyril Ramaphosa voted in Johannesburg, and former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe also cast their ballots. Former president Jacob Zuma voted at Ntolwane Primary School in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal. He leads the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP).

Zuma spoke to the media after he voted in Ward 14. He called for political tolerance and said he hoped people would respect each other. He said he was confident the MKP would make significant gains, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal.

Zuma also said people in the country wanted change. He said the voting process was smooth and everything seemed to be in order. KwaZulu-Natal has the highest number of hotspot areas and a history of political violence.Share

Masego Sheburi, the IEC Deputy Chief Electoral Officer, spoke at a media briefing at the Results Operations Centre in Midrand. He said the commission was encouraged by the enthusiasm of voters. He also said the Voter Management Devices worked well and helped staff process and verify voters.

Gauteng had the most votes by 10am, with 895,384. KwaZulu-Natal followed with 623,380 and the Western Cape with 461,264. The Eastern Cape had 431,123 and Limpopo 366,378.

Mpumalanga had 252,859 votes, North West 204,736 and the Free State 195,537. The Northern Cape had 93,030.

The IEC said unused ballot papers and a stamp were stolen at one voting station in Ward 2 in eThekwini, which has 20 voting stations. Sheburi said the staff at that station were relieved of their duty. The South African Police Service opened a case.

Sheburi reminded voters to choose only one candidate or party per ballot. He said extra marks or more than one choice could spoil the ballot. Voters in local municipalities receive three ballot papers and voters in metropolitan municipalities receive two.Share

Voters in northern Durban said they lack water and electricity and face roads damaged by potholes. Hlengiwe Ndimande, 50, from Congo in Inanda, arrived at her voting station at 5:40am. She said the process was smooth and that Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) officials did a great job.

Ndimande said she had planned not to vote. She changed her mind when she realised that many people stay away because they are angry about poor services. Zandile Nyuswa, 58, voted at Hazelmeer near Verulam. She said not voting was not an option, because nothing changes if she stays home.

Nomusa Nhlengethwa, 81, from Ntuzuma, has voted in every election since 1994. She said she is satisfied with the progress on services in her area.

Young voters in other areas gave similar reasons. Nicole Mageza, 25, a first-time voter from Kempton Park, said she wants to be part of a group that makes a difference. Tumelo Chiloane said the municipality must improve services and create jobs, because the townships have none. Nikiwe Ndawonde, a first-time voter from Kimberley, said things are bad in Galeshewe and she wants democratic change.Share

Voter Sizwe Ndlovu cast his vote early despite the rain. He said it was hard for people to vote in the weather. He said some voters live far from polling stations and have no money or transport, and that transport is hard to find in the harsh weather.

A post on social media said police in the Eastern Cape arrested two suspects for allegedly trying to steal ballot papers in Ngcobo. The police have not confirmed this in the information given here.Share

IEC deputy chief electoral officer Masego Sheburi said the station was used for ballot validation in ward 2 of eThekwini. He spoke at a media briefing on Wednesday. A case has been opened with the South African Police Service (SAPS).

Sheburi also gave figures for KwaZulu-Natal. The province has 5,028 voting stations and 6,022,350 registered voters. The IEC said opening was delayed at 50 stations in Ndwedwe because of logistical problems, and at 3 stations in Umzumbe because roads were inaccessible.

By the close of special voting on Tuesday, 234,297 of 362,878 approved special voters in the province had cast ballots. The IEC put turnout at 65%. Of these votes, 110,767 were cast through home visits and 123,530 at voting stations.Share

IEC Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Masego Shiburi said a case was opened with the South African Police Service (SAPS). He said the affected staff were relieved of their duties. Reports said the items were taken from Myameni Secondary School, near Botha's Hill, on the night before election day.

KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Electoral Officer Ntombifuthi Masinga said the IEC issued a new stamp for election day. She said the stolen stamp was valid only for that day, and staff must check the stamp code when counting starts. She said anyone who tried to bring the stolen ballots back would use the wrong date.

Masinga also said parties may not escort IEC officials who move ballot papers to storage. Only SAPS officers may do so. Shiburi said only candidates and party agents may not wear party regalia inside voting stations.

The IEC said severe weather was imminent in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands in the afternoon. It urged voters to cast their ballots early. SAPS lists 165 high-risk voting stations in the province, 124 of them in eThekwini.Share

The IEC said the alleged attempts to enter its warehouses happened in Richmond, Umkhambathini and Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal. IEC provincial electoral officer Ntombifuthi Masinga said police intervened and the crowd dispersed.

Deputy chief electoral officer Masego Sheburi said people also tried to impersonate IEC officials at a police station in Ngcobo, Eastern Cape. He said they tried to collect election material. He said the IEC is taking legal steps to hold the people and political parties involved to account.

Of the special votes, 917,000 were cast at voting station sites and 421,000 through home visits. Chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the 1.3 million figure was given conservatively. He spoke at the Results Operations Centre in Midrand and said the IEC was ready to open voting stations at 7:00am on voting day.Share

IEC deputy chief electoral officer Masego Sheburi said the longest universal ballot template can hold 80 candidates. He said it works very well where there are more than 76 candidates, because the ballot then follows the template sequence. He said shorter double-column ballots need electoral staff to help braille-literate voters with numbering and sequence, so that votes are not miscast.

Sheburi also spoke about party regalia. He said voters may come to a voting station in any regalia they choose. He said a voter who only marks a ballot and then leaves is allowed to do so.

Sheburi thanked the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure for helping to create a good environment for the elections. He said the Department of Home Affairs opened its offices to citizens who lost their identity documents. He also thanked Eskom for dealing with electricity problems at voting stations.

Sheburi called on all South Africans who had not yet voted to go and cast their ballots.Share

Ramaphosa spoke to the media after he voted. He said he was confident the ANC would come out on top in the local government elections. Over 29 million South Africans registered to vote in the seventh democratic local elections.

He also spoke about the strike in Johannesburg. One report said it ended when the City of Joburg agreed to pay workers R10 billion over two years.

On water supply, Ramaphosa said Rand Water had a problem delivering water to various reservoirs. He said the utility was now pumping more water into them.

Ramaphosa also commented on the US midterm elections. He said the Democrats had taken control of the Senate and the House. He said the result would bring a new era in world relations.Share

Ramaphosa voted with First Lady Tshepo Motsepe. He said the turnout showed democracy in action and reflected the aspirations of the Freedom Charter. He urged registered voters who had not yet voted to go out and vote.

The president said government is determined to rebuild local government. He said newly elected councillors, from all parties, would be more committed to serving communities. He also said new councils would be inaugurated in the coming days, opening a new chapter for local government.

Ramaphosa said it was the first time in years that a local government election drew so many parties and so many people who wanted to represent others.

Other leaders also voted, including former president Thabo Mbeki, Deputy President Paul Mashatile and former president Kgalema Motlanthe. DA mayoral candidate Helen Zille, Action SA leader Herman Mashaba and eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba voted too. Kingsol Chabalala, the DA mayoral candidate in Emfuleni, said protecting municipal finances would be a priority, with a cash flow assessment in the first 100 days.Share

Ntshavheni said only South Africans with South African identity documents can vote. She said foreign nationals live in the country on permits and visas and are not eligible. She urged people who lost their IDs to get temporary identification documents from Home Affairs offices.

She also urged voters to cast their ballots early and said it would be best if everyone voted by 9pm without an extension of hours. She said special votes on Monday and Tuesday went well, with a few incidents that Natjoints could manage. She told parties to show tolerance.

Voting began at 7am, and stations and Home Affairs offices close at 9pm. More than 29 million registered voters can vote at nearly 24,000 voting stations. Some voters in Joubert Park waited for hours and were then told to vote at other stations.

Deputy government spokesperson William Baloyi warned that it is prohibited for a voter to photograph a marked ballot paper.Share

Cape Town has 2,158,976 registered voters and eThekwini has 2,032,565. Ekurhuleni has 1,711,998 and the City of Tshwane has 1,684,463.

The three smaller metros have far fewer voters. Nelson Mandela Bay has 636,660, Buffalo City has 458,695 and Mangaung has 447,397.Share