Elections Hot

Hill-Lewis told supporters that the DA is a party for all South Africans. He said it stays committed to serving every community across the country.

He rejected claims by critics that the party serves only one racial group. In his words: "There are those who say the DA is only for one race. Do not believe them. They are liars."Share

Zille said voters who stay at home would help the people she blames for the city's problems. She said they would give criminals another five years to loot, and that Johannesburg cannot afford another five years of failure.

She also used a direct appeal to voters at the rally. Zille said: "if you stay at home on election, you won't be punishing Amasela [criminals], you will be rewarding them."

South Africans vote next Wednesday. Special votes are expected on Monday and Tuesday.Share

Malatsi said the DA expects to be the largest party in Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane. He said that if the party gets closer to 40 per cent, it will be in the strongest position to form coalitions with fewer parties.

On coalitions, Malatsi said: "There is nothing as unstable as a multi-party coalition. So, the fewer coalition parties, the better".

The DA said the elections are mainly about restoring basic service delivery. It listed reliable water, electricity, refuse removal and safer communities.Share

Motshekga briefed the Joint Defence Committee on Friday. She said protests in places like KwaZulu-Natal make it difficult for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to attend to the elections.

The SANDF has deployed 510 soldiers in KwaZulu-Natal to maintain law and order. Motshekga said this deployment could affect the election plan of the SANDF and divert its priorities.

Committee member Emma Powell also spoke at the briefing. Motshekga said Powell was right on the point about the most urgent matter, which involves Joint Operations.Share

SALGA said millions of voters are expected to go to the polls. It also told voters to monitor warnings from the South African Weather Service, given changing weather conditions.

The Department of Home Affairs is extending front-office hours so eligible voters can get identity documents. Offices will open from 8am to 6pm on 2 and 3 November. On Election Day, 4 November, they will open from 7am to 9pm.

The department said the extended hours let voters collect or apply for identity documents and Temporary Identity Certificates. Registered special voting takes place on 2 and 3 November, from 8am to 5pm.Share

The rally is called "Tshela Thupa" and takes place on 1 November, three days before the vote. It is the last big event of the party's campaign.

The party says the rally will deliver its "Victory or Death" message. It describes the message as a reference to the urgency for South Africans to change the fortunes of the country.Share

Zuma, who is 84, went to hospital on 6 October after he fell ill at an MK Party campaign event in Msinga. In the video he said only that he had been "somewhere". He did not explain his absence further.

The party said earlier that fatigue, found in a routine check-up, led to his admission. It said doctors recommended supervised rest and recuperation. Unnamed sources said he later went to a private location to recover further.

On 14 October his daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, posted videos of him exercising with dumbbells. President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed that the surgeon-general of the SANDF was overseeing Zuma's treatment.

Polling data suggested the party could take about 13% of the overall vote in the municipal elections on Wednesday.Share

The order bans violence, intimidation, looting, property damage, weapons and face coverings at March and March demonstrations. The police said they needed to preserve police manpower to maintain public safety and secure the elections.

The parties return to court on 18 January to argue a final order. Movement leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma urged supporters to "respect the court's decision but to go out in their numbers to vote".Share

Makoba spoke at a media briefing with Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia and National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola. He said no marches will be allowed on election day.

Recent violent demonstrations in Durban led police to apply for a court order against disruptive demonstrations. Two marches are planned between 2 and 4 November, Makoba said. He said they will take place on Monday and Tuesday, not on Wednesday.

Makoba said: "the law limits such rights of demonstration, particularly on election day". Police and other law enforcement agencies say they are ready to secure the elections.Share

Zille said the DA targets an outright majority of 136 seats on the 270-seat council. She said the towns and cities that work best are under DA governance. She also said Cape Town invests R42 billion in extending infrastructure, with 75% earmarked for poorer communities.

Mashaba said ActionSA would work with any party that accepts its three conditions. He said: "If DA wants to really work with ActionSA, they must remove Helen Zille". He also accused Zille of having worked with ANC leaders to remove him from office in his previous term.

Morero, the incumbent mayor, said the ANC believes it will perform better in the election. He said recent water shortages were partly due to supply problems involving Rand Water, because reservoirs were not full. He also said the Metro Centre building failed health and safety standards and is no longer insured because of structural damage.

Mofokeng said Johannesburg needs a radical change in how it is governed. She said the city should negotiate a grant of up to 15% from National Treasury.Share

Some University of Johannesburg students said they would vote. Others said they would not. One student, who was not named, gave two reasons for staying away: a lack of change, and political parties that deliver services only during election periods.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) is the body that manages elections in the country. It says it continues to encourage young South Africans to take part.Share

Ipsos surveyed 2 533 registered voters between 12 September and 13 October. The ANC won 47% in the 2021 local government elections. The poll puts the MK Party at 12%, the EFF at 10%, ActionSA at 4%, the IFP at 4% and the Patriotic Alliance at 2%.

In Cape Town, the poll puts the DA at 51%. In Johannesburg, it has the DA on 30% and the ANC on 27%. In Tshwane, the DA is on 34% and the ANC on 31%.

Ipsos said the ANC has historically gained support in the final stages of election campaigns. It said the MK Party's 4% in Johannesburg reflects fieldwork done during uncertainty over the hospitalisation of MK Party MP Jacob Zuma.

Ipsos analyst Mari Harris said most metros, if not all, are likely to need coalitions. She said coalitions formed after the 2021 elections often proved unstable, with frequent leadership changes and disrupted services.Share

Thulani Mavuso, a Deputy Director-General at the Department of Home Affairs, confirmed the arrangement. He said: "The Department of Home Affairs will be open on the fourth of November."

The department says the longer hours are meant to help voters who still need identity documents before they cast their votes.Share

Kuhle Zwakala, a political commentator at Stellenbosch University, said residents in townships want basic services. He said: "To be talking about electricity, water and sanitation issues 30 years into democracy is a shame." Oscar van Heerden, a senior research fellow at the Centre for African Diplomacy and Leadership, said there is also an identity factor.

An Ipsos survey in March found that 38 percent of respondents believed their municipality was doing its job well. Nearly half felt that no party represented their views. More than 500 parties are registered with the electoral commission, and the MK party of former president Jacob Zuma is new to local elections.

Turnout is a worry. It was 46 percent of registered voters in the 2021 local elections and 58.6 percent in the 2024 national polls. The ANC fell below 50% in 2021. By February 2026, 74 of the 257 councils were run by coalitions or minority administrations.

Voters hold mixed views. Ntombekhaya Makeleni, a Khayelitsha resident who uses a bucket toilet, said she will vote. Nkanyiso Hadebe, 24, of Chatsworth, said he will not vote because voting changes nothing.Share

Cachalia said police have developed operational plans across all provinces. The briefing in KwaZulu-Natal dealt with the election readiness report for the province.

Cachalia said South Africans must have the chance to express their views at the ballot box without intimidation. He also said it is important that the outcome can be called free and fair.Share

Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo said the partnership removes barriers to direct access to the platforms. He said it allows instant action against people who spread disinformation. He also said a technically flawless election can still lose public trust if citizens are overwhelmed by disinformation.

Microsoft South Africa joined the partnership. Abongile Vanda, its Director of Government Affairs, said: "Free, fair and credible elections depend on people being able to trust the information they see."

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is developing fact-checking technologies. Its researchers say generative AI has industrialised the creation of fake media. They say this floods networks with synthetic video, voice clones and emotive narratives meant to manipulate voters.Share

The Electoral Court ruled on Friday that the law allows single-name proportional representation lists. It also allows parties to add names after the election under Item 17. The court found the practice was not fraudulent, unconstitutional or unlawful. Judge Nobahle Mangcu-Lockwood presided, and Judge Lebogang Modiba and Professor Moses Phooko concurred.

The court heard the matter on 13 October. The DA argued that the four parties used Item 17 as a planned strategy to keep candidates hidden from voters until after the count. Opposing parties said the DA had used the same practice itself, including in the current elections.

The DA says it will argue its constitutional challenge before the Electoral Court. Mangcu-Lockwood wrote that a matter of such weight needs careful handling, not "a rushed jolt". DA federal council chairperson Ashor Sarupen said the ruling exposes a serious gap in electoral law.

GOOD secretary-general Brett Herron said the case was an attempt to brand four opposition parties as fraudsters. ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont called the case stillborn. He said granting the DA's request would have disenfranchised 25% of the electorate from council representation.Share

DA Federal Council Chairperson and Campaign Manager Ashor Sarupen said the party's immediate priority is to get its supporters to the ballot box. He said the DA has run an extraordinarily long 18-month campaign.

Sarupen said the DA was the first party out of the blocks to make voters understand its offer, its mayoral candidates and its track record. He said the party hopes to turn this extensive campaign into votes.

Sarupen said: "We are calling for every single DA voter to get out to vote on Wednesday."Share

KwaZulu-Natal has 165 of the high-risk stations, the most of any province. Of these, 124 are in the eThekwini District. Gauteng has 119, including 75 in the Johannesburg district.

The Western Cape has 33, all in the City of Cape Town. Mpumalanga has 11. The Eastern Cape has three, all in the OR Tambo District.

Masemola said police have increased deployments, with specialised units on standby. He said the South African National Defence Force and the State Security Agency also support election security.

Masemola said two people were attacked and killed in connection with violent marches around Durban. He said 16 vehicles were burnt or damaged. The police service has a court application on marches in KwaZulu-Natal and awaits the court's decision.

Masemola said the application does not aim to stop lawful marches or the right to protest. He said it aims to ensure that people follow the law.Share

Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia and the KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner say recent demonstrations led to violence, road blockades and property damage. The application asks the court to stop further protest action by the group.

Authorities said unlawful conduct will not be tolerated.Share