Elections Hot

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

Ramaphosa toured sites in the eThekwini area, including Montclair, Cornubia, Tongaat and Hambanathi. He handed over houses at Cornubia and addressed members of the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) and ANC supporters. SADTU members presented nine grievances to him.

Addressing candidates in Hambanathi, Ramaphosa said: "don't steal money for development." He said the ANC has the policies, capacity and experience to deliver meaningful development. He also said many people told him during the campaign that they had no jobs.

Ramaphosa said the renewal of the ANC would be judged in the wards, not in Luthuli House. Polls cited in reports say the ANC could lose the eThekwini metro for the first time, to the MK Party founded by former president Jacob Zuma.

At Cornubia, 145 houses are under construction in phase 2. Ramaphosa said 460 permanent homes should be complete there by mid-2027. A further 500 units are planned for refurbishment at Montclair.Share

The Weather Service said below-normal rainfall and above-normal temperatures are likely in parts of the country. It linked this to a developing El Niño pattern. Senior forecaster Tokelo Chiloane made the claim about the El Niño influence.

Chiloane advised the public on precautions for the voting period. He said: "Carry umbrellas or raincoats where showers and thundershowers are expected."Share

One community member said unemployment is a high concern in Ward 47 of Vosloorus. The resident said many young unemployed people sit at home and are idle. The resident called youth unemployment a clear sign of high unemployment in the area.

The same resident said: "It's a very huge concern, especially for someone with a university degree." Residents said unemployment will be among the key issues that influence their votes.

Radio 702 is hosting an Ekurhuleni mayoral debate at Nguni Hall on Thursday.Share

Sizakhele Dyantyi, the provincial police commissioner, linked the rise in taxi violence to route disputes between rival taxi associations. At a police briefing on Thursday she warned those stirring violence: "They will be dealt with harshly." Reports said one person was also gunned down earlier in the week at the same Delft rank.

Charles George, a community activist and pastor in Delft, said the violence makes voters question whether they can reach a voting station and get home safely. The ANC Dullah Omar region said the violence comes at a critical moment. It warned that the violence will intimidate voters if it goes unchecked.

Michael Hendrickse, the IEC provincial electoral officer, said police are assessing high-risk areas as part of election preparations. He said the commission remains concerned about crime that could affect voters' ability to reach voting stations.Share

EFF mayoral candidate Sinawo Thambo said there is no political violence in Zwide and that parties live in harmony there. He also said Zwide is an EFF stronghold. Thambo said he was "quite surprised" that the area was calm.

Rozario Frolick, the DA Ward 25 councillor candidate, said political leaders want to lead the city out of its governance problems. He said this means there will always be synergy during the campaign. Parties in Nelson Mandela Bay have not held talks before the election.

Thambo called such talks a defeatist political mentality. UDM councillor candidate Luxolo Namethe said the party expects to pull significant numbers because it has fielded a candidate in all 60 wards.

Violence has hit other areas. Michael Thulani Mbana, the DA caucus leader in Metsimaholo, was killed in a shooting. An earlier report counted at least 42 people killed in suspected political assassinations since January.Share

The video reportedly shows Mandela telling citizens to stop voting for the ANC. It says the party has failed them and calls it corrupt. The video also includes allegations that the ANC stole pension funds.

These are claims made in the video itself. They are not established facts, and the video has not been verified.Share

Hill-Lewis spoke at a DA rally in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape. He said one DA government created half the new jobs in the country's cities. He told the crowd: "Everywhere where the DA governs jobs come to that town or city."

The DA is an opposition party on the Nelson Mandela Bay council. It holds 48 of the 120 council seats and is campaigning for control of the metro.

Some residents said they hope for better jobs and easier access to education. A 21-year-old resident has been out of school since 2023 and has no job. The resident said the DA must create access to jobs.Share

Ramaphosa spoke to the media after a door-to-door campaign in Magabheni. He said the killings aim to destroy the efficacy of South Africa's democracy and roll back democratic gains. He said: "We condemn the killing of councillor candidates, whether serving or prospective, in the strongest terms."

Data from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, cited in the coverage, counts at least 42 people killed in suspected political assassinations since January 2026. The same period in 2025 saw 23 such killings. At least 10 people have died in political killings since the start of October.

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli said in August that almost 18 councillors had been killed in the province since the 2021 local elections. He said eThekwini was the province's epicentre of political assassinations.

Ramaphosa also said the ANC will do extremely well and regain a majority in the eThekwini council. A poll of 1 000 registered voters by SABI Strategy Group modelled the MK Party at 43%, the DA at 30% and the ANC at 11%. He also spoke about anti-immigration unrest in Durban, after 510 SANDF members were deployed to KwaZulu-Natal.Share

DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis said the final push should win his party a majority in Nelson Mandela Bay. He said the metro could become the first outside Cape Town with a solid DA majority government. Hill-Lewis and DA mayoral candidate Retief Odendaal both called the vote a make-or-break election for a metro troubled by political instability.

Nelson Mandela Bay has been under a coalition for 10 years. Speaking at the DA rally in Gqeberha, Hill-Lewis said: "We can turn it around forever,"

In Buffalo City, the ANC needs 51% for an outright majority. Recent polls put the party well below that level. The latest polls show both metros will be hotly contested, with no clear winner expected.Share

The agency will pay disability grants on Monday, 2 November. It will pay the child grant on Tuesday, 3 November.

Thursday, 5 November is set aside for beneficiaries whose grants are under review. SASSA said in a statement that it "remains committed to ensuring that eligible beneficiaries receive their grants in an orderly and reliable manner".Share

The Ministry is meeting provincial premiers and the MECs responsible for community safety. One virtual meeting with them took place on 26 October 2026. It is also meeting representatives of the private security industry through the Private Security Industry Regulatory Authority (PSiRA).

The Ministry said these talks will continue before the elections. It wants to assess how ready each province is, identify possible risks and make sure the right operational plans are in place.

The Ministry said it remains committed to supporting efforts so that eligible voters can vote freely and without fear, intimidation or disruption.Share

Umalusi, the council that oversees the matric exams, said the change aims to limit election-related disruption. It named political gatherings and community protests as the main risks. Monday 9 November is also a day with no exams.

Umalusi Chief Executive Officer Mafu Rakometsi said election-related political activities may affect exam operations. The exams started on Tuesday 13 October 2026.

Rakometsi said: "Umalusi urges all stakeholders, including political and community leaders, principals, teachers and parents, to minimise the disruption caused by political activities".Share

The IEC says the 2.6 million approved special votes are the highest ever. Election day is on the fourth. Special voting on Monday and Tuesday comes before it.

In the Northern Cape, over 130 000 people applied for special votes. The province had 90 000 special votes in 2021.

IEC representative Alkin Topkin said the special votes process eases the congestion and long queues expected on election day. He also said the online application process was quick and easy.

Journalist Karabo Siyoko applied for a special vote because she will work in another city during the elections. She also said the online process was quick and easy.Share

Many residents in Ward 18 told a reporter they would not vote. They spoke of disillusionment, drug abuse and gangsterism in the area. Resident Ray Herman, aged 28, has never voted. He said: "It is useless to vote. I am not going to vote. There is no point."

The main contest appears to be between the Patriotic Alliance (PA) and the DA, based on past results and campaign visibility. The PA won 64.58% of the ward vote in the 2021 local government elections. The DA won 18.24%. In a May by-election in the ward, the PA won 62% and the DA 22%.

Across the country, 136 790 candidates are contesting 10 526 seats in the 2026 election. In 2021, there were 95 427 certified candidates. Juwairiya Kaldine, the PA councillor for Ward 18, is seeking re-election.Share

A Greenfield resident and other residents described Ekurhuleni as a crime scene. Dlabathi rejected this and said basic services are being delivered.

Dlabathi said the city moved almost R800 million into repairs and maintenance. He said the city will revive its asphalt plant to fix potholes. He also said the city recovered R840 million of the R2 billion in electricity revenue that was never collected.

He spoke about the dismissal of the deputy police chief and two department heads after the Madlanga Commission. He said consequence management will be "the order of the day".

On jobs, Dlabathi promised faster approvals for investors, land for trading precincts and skills programmes for young people.Share

Separately, the Financial and Fiscal Commission told Parliament that the MTBPS did not pay enough attention to the sustainability of the local government fiscal framework. The commission criticised National Treasury's handling of distressed municipalities.

Fourteen affiliates of the South African Municipal Workers Union were due in the Johannesburg Magistrates Court on charges of inciting public violence. They had blocked the M1 near Braamfontein.Share

Lesufi told ANC volunteers that no old Ford Cortina would run Johannesburg. He said the metro would be led by the ANC. ANC members said the remark pointed to Zille, who they said was known for driving the vintage vehicle.

Lesufi urged supporters to stay focused ahead of the local government elections on 4 November. He said the ANC had reached more people than any other party in its door-to-door work. He also said Johannesburg remains the home of the ANC.

He said opposition parties were telling people not to vote for small parties because they would not bring democracy. Lesufi called that a sign of panic. He said the ANC would surprise its enemies and come out victorious.Share