Politics: latest posts

Arab parties are projected to win 19 seats, which is an unprecedented figure. The projections could still change as counting continues. The vote was Israel's first election since the attack of 7 October 2023.

Markets reacted. The shekel weakened about 1.6 percent to 3.10 to the dollar, and Tel Aviv's key indexes fell by more than 3 percent.

Guy Lurie of the Israel Democracy Institute said a caretaker government has the same formal powers as a regular one but a duty of restraint. That includes powers over the war with Iran. Israeli security experts say the result could let Netanyahu launch a new bombing campaign against Iran with the US.

Netanyahu has spoken of a "singular historical opportunity" for joint action with US President Donald Trump. Eisenkot warned that Netanyahu might use security for political ends. Netanyahu's office has rejected earlier accusations that he uses the Iran conflict for political gain.Share

Justice Nambitha Dambuza wrote the judgment, which the court handed down on Tuesday. It upheld a 2022 finding by Johannesburg High Court judge Fiona Dippenaar that the guidelines were impermissible. The adoptions of two babies, called B and L, were finalised in May 2023 and August 2023.

Dambuza said the government parties kept arguing that the adoption proceedings must start afresh because the application documents did not comply. She said their lack of insight and persistence in seeking to have the children removed from their families was gravely unsettling.

The judge said there was "no conceivable reason why they should be wrenched from their families". The High Court had referred the social workers' conduct to the South African Council for Social Service Professions. Dambuza said it was necessary to draw that conduct to the attention of the professional body.Share

Government is reportedly studying other ways to fund the RAF. The options include a charge on vehicle registration or licence renewal, and a levy on foreign-registered vehicles that enter South Africa. Duvenage called the plan to look beyond the fuel levy a knee-jerk reaction that does not address the fund's real problems.

Duvenage said the RAF has been grossly mismanaged. He said repeated fuel levy increases let government avoid dealing with the problem. He described the R2,500 figure as an illustration, not a confirmed amount.

He also said an annual fee would be less fair than the fuel levy, because every motorist would pay the same. In his words: "If you drive 150 kilometres a month and somebody drives 10,000 kilometres a month, you're both going to pay the same".

Duvenage said higher costs could push some motorists to avoid the fee, which would make enforcement harder. He said electric vehicles are not yet a major threat to funding, because they are less than 0.5% of the national fleet. He called that a longer-term challenge.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 Police Ministry said in a statement that the memorandum will go to a Cabinet sitting at the earliest opportunity. Ministry spokesperson Kamogelo Mogotsi repeated this. Once Cabinet agrees, the appointment must be reported to parliament.

The post of national head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, known as the Hawks, has had no permanent holder since General Godfrey Lebeya retired in May last year. Lieutenant General Siphesihle Nkosi is now the acting national head.

The Police Ministry said: "The appointment of a National Head is important in ensuring strong leadership, strategic direction and operational effectiveness in addressing these crimes".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

Bloom spoke on the sidelines of a review of the national strategic water framework in Boksburg on Tuesday. He said chlorine was not available for three weeks. He said it took many failures at many levels for that to happen.

Bloom also said the problem extends beyond Bronkhorstspruit. He said the Tshwane CBD has problems linked to a lack of chlorine. The plant manager has been suspended.

The crisis is linked to the City of Tshwane's failure to chlorinate water at the Bronkhorstspruit Treatment Works. Unnamed sources allege a dispute with the chlorine supplier over a price increase. It is also understood that the plant drew water from a river already polluted by sewage, while pumps and sand filters malfunctioned.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

Dlabathi said: "We will build a much more financially sustainable City of Ekurhuleni." The debate was held by Radio 702 ahead of the 2026 local government elections.

DA mayoral candidate Tsholofelo Bodlani said her party will uproot corruption and professionalise the local administration. She said: "People and officials who break the law must be held personally liable for wasting money in the City of Ekurhuleni."

EFF mayoral candidate Nthabiseng Tshivhenga said crime is one of the party's biggest concerns in the metro. The debate also touched on claims that R2 billion in electricity revenue has disappeared from the city without explanation.Share

The City of Tshwane placed Mnisi on precautionary suspension with pay over alleged misconduct. The matter is linked to claims of tender fraud involving former SAPS Sergeant Fannie Nkosi. The Madlanga Commission alleges that Mnisi shared confidential tender information with Nkosi.

Unnamed accusers say Mnisi has wealth he cannot explain, including a fleet of luxury vehicles and multimillion-rand properties. They say the assets do not match his salary, which is over R100,000 a month. Mnisi says he acquired the assets as part of his divorce proceedings.Share

Princess Faku chairs the ANC's Dr WB Rubusana region and has been Buffalo City mayor since March 2023. Ncedo Kumbaca, the other ANC frontrunner, is a former journalist and former Eastern Cape roads and transport spokesperson.

Mkhululi Dlevu is the EFF candidate. Mzwandile Vaaiboom stands for the MK Party and is a former ANC councillor. Nqabayomzi Kwankwa, the UDM deputy president, is the UDM candidate.

In the 2021 elections the ANC won 59.4% of the vote and 61 of 100 council seats. The EFF won 12.06%, up from 7.97% in 2016, and holds 12 seats. The DA holds 20 seats. The UDM has about 1% of the vote.

Dlevu said residents have been misled for more than 30 years and that the problem has moved beyond mismanagement to looting. He also argued that 80 law enforcement officers cannot serve 851,000 residents.

Vaaiboom said a criminal investigation over sewage flowing from Schornville into the Buffalo River names the mayor, speaker, city manager and accounting officers. Kwankwa blamed collapsing infrastructure on a lack of project management capacity and water engineers.Share

Ramaphosa, who is also ANC President, asked registered voters to use their democratic right in a peaceful and responsible way. He spoke in Durban, in the eThekwini municipality in KwaZulu-Natal.

He said: "Whatever our political differences, we should all be united in wanting municipalities that work, communities that are safe, and an economy that creates opportunities and jobs."Share