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The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) will visit registered addresses on Monday and Tuesday. The visits let approved elderly voters and other special voters cast their ballots before the local government elections on Wednesday, 4 November.

Home Affairs offices will open for extended hours from 2 to 4 November for ID applications and collections. Home Affairs spokesperson Ndileka Cola said the offices will be open from 8 o'clock in the morning to 6 o'clock in the evening.Share

South Africa has over 200 municipalities, and eight of them are metropolitan municipalities. Municipalities provide services to residents, and voters choose the people who run them.

Voters in a local municipality receive three ballot papers. Voters in a metropolitan municipality receive two ballot papers.

The explainer also describes the roles of ward councillors, proportional representation (PR) councillors and mayors.Share

In Tshwane, 25.2% of DA voters named the FF+ as their leading coalition choice. Another 18.6% chose ActionSA, and 33.1% preferred the DA to govern without another party.

In Cape Town, 40.1% of Patriotic Alliance (PA) voters favoured the DA as a partner. Among DA voters there, 18.9% selected the PA.

In Ekurhuleni, 29.3% of ANC voters and 29.4% of MK party voters named the DA as their leading choice. Among DA voters there, 18.5% selected ActionSA and 18.1% selected the FF+.

Many ANC voters preferred no other party as a partner: 20.8% in Johannesburg, 41.7% in Tshwane, 44.6% in Cape Town and 32.4% in Ekurhuleni. The survey was published on 1 November and looked at partner choices, not voting intention.Share

IEC KwaZulu-Natal electoral officer Ntombfuthi Masinga cautioned parties that camp outside voting stations. She said the tables and tents are not official IEC tables. She said parties use them to track who has voted, so they can persuade registered voters who have not yet voted.

Masinga said the tables are not a place for drinking. In her words: "Those are also not tables for people to get drinks and be drunk and start harassing voters before they get into voting stations." She said that if it happens again, the South African Police Service will deal with it.

Reports also gave 331 as the number of high-risk voting stations that police identified nationally. They said 2.6m voters are set to cast special ballots.Share

Baloyi spoke on 702 ahead of Wednesday's local government elections. He said spending commitments must be carefully managed. In his words: "We cannot overcommit the city and strain its resources to the detriment of the city".

He said stronger law enforcement and enforcement of municipal bylaws would be essential to revive the CBD. He also set out MK Party proposals on immigration enforcement.

Baloyi said township microgrids and a social tariff would make households more financially viable. He said they would also reduce dependence on conventional electricity supply. He said residents were frustrated because they were effectively paying twice for services.Share

Dyantyi said police are ready to keep voters safe. She said police had adjusted their deployments and are using intelligence officers to gather information. The deployment comes amid taxi violence and gang activity in the province.

She said law enforcement agencies are working together to keep people safe and let voting go ahead without disruption. Delft was among the places named in connection with the policing plans.

Dyantyi said: "We are excited as law enforcement agencies because it is our duty and task to ensure that we present an environment that is conducive for the people."Share

The official local government election polls are set for 4 November, which is a Wednesday. Early voters cast ballots at the NG Kerk voting station in Umhlanga on Monday.

Neurosurgeon John Naidoo said voting matters even when services fail. He said: "You have to vote. I think there is no point in complaining and saying there are no services; you have to vote."

ActionSA member of Parliament Alan Beesley also voted early. He said he will return to the campaign trail to support others and hopes for a peaceful election.

Reports said campaigning and early voting are going peacefully, with no signs of unrest. KwaZulu-Natal police said at least one protest is planned in Durban.Share

Gauteng Small Bus Operations posted a notice on social media saying the operators have run out of diesel. The group says its invoices for August and September are still unpaid, and that employees are also not paid. An official of the Greater Gauteng Leaner Transport Organisation confirmed the suspension.

The operators say the department's failure to pay, and its refusal to commit to future payment, harms the education of pupils. Reports say this is the second halt over non-payment in 2026.

Gauteng Small Bus Operations says it wrote to Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and President Cyril Ramaphosa. The letter warned that services would stop if service providers were not paid urgently.Share

Michael Hendrickse, the IEC's provincial electoral officer in the Western Cape, apologised for the delay. He said the delay was unforeseen, despite the best efforts of the IEC and the printing company that produced the ballots.

Hendrickse said the situation was fluid. He said the delays were across the Cape metro, but voting stations in the outer areas of the province worked smoothly.

He said the IEC would make sure that voters who applied for special votes could vote over the two days. He said all security measures were in place for the transport and delivery of the ballots.

Special voting runs on 2 and 3 November 2026. The IEC approved 2 655 067 voters nationwide for special votes. Election Day is Wednesday, 4 November 2026.Share

Dyantyi spoke on Sunday at the launch of the provincial operations centre of the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). She said police are being deployed to specific hotspots. Police assured South Africans of a safe and secure environment in which to vote.

Dyantyi said the operational plan has the approval of NatJoints. She told the launch: "The operational plan has already been approved; hence, I have also mentioned that we did get the thumbs up because we had presented our plan to the NatJoints."Share

Ntshavheni told voters not to back a councillor who serves only personal interests. She said: "Do not vote for a councillor who serves only personal interests; vote for someone you can hold accountable and engage about community problems and challenges."

The elections take place on Wednesday, 4 November. Approved special votes will be cast on 2 and 3 November 2026.

The Electoral Commission urges voters to check their voting station details before Election Day. Voters can send their ID number by WhatsApp to 0600 88 0000. They can also send an SMS to 32810, which costs R1 per SMS.Share

Ntuli said he is confident the elections will take place without incident. He said police are deployed and will be ready. He added that the army is deployed to complement the work of police.

Gauteng has 119 high-risk voting stations. In KwaZulu-Natal, eThekwini has 124 of them. uThukela has 16, Amajuba has 13, Zululand has 11 and Ugu has one.

Ntuli said: "At a government level, we have done everything to ensure that we safeguard the days of the elections."Share

The IEC announced its state of readiness at a media briefing in Midrand on Sunday night. Its chief executive, Sy Mamabolo, spoke about the preparations. One report gave 2.6-million as the number of people expected to vote on Monday and Tuesday.

Separately, the Electoral Court ruled that the EFF nominated Sivuyile Jacquin Tshikila as a ward 03 councillor candidate in the Eastern Cape without his knowledge or consent. The case concerned the Raymond Mhlaba local municipality.

President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke at the ANC's final rally at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane. He said ANC councillors and mayors who fail to serve communities or misuse public funds will be removed. He said: "We want to place emphasis on making sure we get accountable and capable and ethical people who are going to be elected"Share

Judge Modiba Shongwe delivered the judgment in Bloemfontein on Friday. He said forcing someone to stand for public office against their wishes could undermine their dignity. In the judgment he said: "The EFF cannot coerce the applicant without his consent to stand for office as ward candidate against his will".

Tshikila is a former EFF member and a local leader in KwaMaqoma, in the Eastern Cape. He said he had already left the party when it submitted his name. He also said he never signed a nomination form or gave permission to use his name, and he believes the documents were submitted fraudulently.

Tshikila said he found out on September 16 that he was standing for a party he no longer belonged to. EFF Eastern Cape regional coordinator Veronica Mente gave a different account. She said the person accepted the nomination but withdrew after the period for changes with the IEC had closed. She also said party records show his membership was active.

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) must make sure voters cannot cast ballots for him. IEC deputy head of communications David Mandaha is the commission's spokesperson on the matter.Share

The home visits take place on 2 and 3 November. The commission has deployed 127 000 electoral officials for home visits and for special voting at voting stations. KwaZulu-Natal has the most approved home visits of any province, at 143 714.

Mamabolo spoke at a media briefing on Sunday. He said voters who miss the visit are not shut out of the election. In his words, "voters who miss the home visit by the election officials on 2 and 3 November are not disenfranchised".Share

Chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo spoke at a press briefing at the national results centre on Sunday. The ballots were reprinted after a Constitutional Court ruling on 15 October. The court ordered the reinstatement of 181 ANC candidates who missed the candidate-list deadline. The relief was extended to 32 other parties, which affected ballots in 107 municipalities.

More than 2.6 million voters are approved to cast special votes over two days. Of these, 678 525 are approved for home visits, and KwaZulu-Natal has the most visits at 143 000. Nearly 2 million voters are approved to vote at voting stations, and Gauteng has the most, at 391 000. The commission deployed 127 000 electoral officials for home visits and special voting.

Mamabolo said weather forecasts show a high possibility of rain in parts of KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Mpumalanga over the next two days. He said voters who miss the home visit are not disenfranchised. They can still vote at their voting station on 4 November.

The commission accredited 117 domestic observer groups. About 15 African electoral commissions take part in its international visitors programme.Share

Ntombfuthi Masinga, the provincial electoral officer of the IEC in KwaZulu-Natal, asked voters to learn the rules at voting stations. Campaigning is banned there. Photographing ballot papers is also banned.

Masinga said taking a picture of the ballot paper after voting is an electoral offence and that offenders will be arrested. She said: "We do not allow you to take a picture of the ballot paper once you have voted at the voting station."

On main voting day, voting stations open at 7 in the morning and close at 9 at night. The IEC said it is ready for the polls.Share

IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo spoke at a media briefing on Sunday night. He said 678 525 approved special votes will be cast at residences, for voters with a physical infirmity or disability. Another 1 976 542 will be cast at registered voting stations.

Gauteng has the most approved special voters, at 480 721. The Eastern Cape has 401 971 and KwaZulu-Natal has 348 971. KwaZulu-Natal has the most approved home visits, at 143 714, and Gauteng has the most station-based special votes, at 391 589.

Special votes will be counted with the Election Day ballots. Mamabolo said: "Voters are reminded that they can only vote where they are registered." Voters can check their special vote status by SMS to 32711, at R1 per message.Share

Trump told the crowd the US may have to give Tehran "the hammer" at some point. He said the only reason he is not finished with Iran is that he wants to be nice and save lives.

He gave the rally speech in Iowa, days before the US midterm elections on November 3. In the speech, he said: "And the only reason why I'm not finished with Iran is I want to be nice."Share

NATJOINTS Chairperson Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili spoke at a media briefing at the NATJOINTS Coordinating Centre in Tshwane on Sunday. She said defiance of the ban would be a crime. Her words were: "No campaigning or political persuasion is permitted on Voting Day."

Demonstrations are also banned within 100 metres of voting stations. The ban covers voting, counting and the announcement of results.

NATJOINTS said enough law enforcement personnel are deployed in all provinces. It said intelligence assessments and identified threats shaped the security plans. The aim, it said, is to protect life, property and the constitutional rights of all South Africans.

The briefing also covered a Durban High Court interim order on protests in KwaZulu-Natal. Special voting takes place on Monday and Tuesday, and the Electoral Commission of South Africa stated that it is ready.Share

Mamabolo spoke to the media at the National Results Operations Centre in Midrand, Johannesburg. He said the weather forecast shows possible rainfall in parts of KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Mpumalanga. He said North West, Limpopo, Northern Cape and Free State are experiencing hot weather.

Mamabolo said: "The commission encourages voters to check local weather forecasts and to take appropriate precautionary measures to be able to vote without hiccups."Share

The warnings cover parts of Limpopo, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, the Eastern Cape, the Free State and Gauteng. A Yellow Level 4 Warning covers parts of Limpopo, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.

A Yellow Level 2 Warning covers the KwaZulu-Natal coast between Port Edward and Mtubatuba. A Yellow Level 1 Warning covers parts of the Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng and Mpumalanga.

The IEC said it is ready to run special voting on Monday and Tuesday. Voting Day for the 2026 Local Government Elections is Wednesday, 4 November.Share

The three accused are Imanuwela David, Froliana Joseph and Ndilinasho Joseph. Froliana Joseph is a former domestic worker at the game farm. They face charges of theft, conspiracy to commit theft, money laundering and housebreaking.

Former intelligence boss Arthur Fraser opened a criminal case against Ramaphosa in June 2022. Fraser claims that Ramaphosa did not declare the foreign currency to the Reserve Bank. He also claims that Ramaphosa used improper methods to retrieve the stolen money.Share

Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, co-chairperson of Natjoints, briefed the media in Pretoria on Sunday night. Gauteng had the most murders with 7, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 6 and the Western Cape with 3. The Eastern Cape had 2, and the Free State and North West had 1 each.

Police arrested 48 suspects in election-related cases. Of the 139 cases, 69 are under investigation, 8 went to the senior public prosecutor and 25 are in court. The Electoral Act offences were the largest group with 72 cases and 22 arrests.

Mosikili said no marches or protests will be allowed and that they will count as a crime. Reports said Natjoints has identified 331 high-risk voting stations, mostly in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. She said police capacity is adequate to respond to these risks.

Mosikili said campaigning ends at midnight on Tuesday. She said heightened election security will not suspend ordinary policing. SANDF Lieutenant General Siphiwe Lucky Sangweni said the defence force has aircraft to move voting materials and officials if bad weather blocks roads.Share

Of the approved voters, 678,000 will vote at home through visits by IEC officials. KwaZulu-Natal has 143,000 approved home visits, the most of any province. Women make up 74% of home visit voters and men 26%.

IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo urged voters approved for home visits to stay at their registered addresses. He said: "The officials will not return to the same address if they don’t find the voter when they visit for the first time,"

The IEC is finalising distribution of about 28 million reprinted ballot papers. Mamabolo said printing is complete. Voting stations will open from 8am to 5pm on both days, and 29,230,808 voters are registered for the elections.Share

Tau said the plan is designed to curb widespread infrastructure theft and vandalism. He said it will help the sector tackle core systemic threats.

The local steel industry faces heavy operational pressure. This includes cheap imports, damage to infrastructure and supply chain disruptions.

Tau also spoke about scrap metal. He said: "There’s work that we’re doing with regard to regulations around scrap exports."Share

Lesufi said the strike had undermined several government interventions and badly disrupted basic municipal services. He spoke at a media briefing on Sunday. Jacob Mamabolo, the Gauteng Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC, was appointed to engage the city and the union.

Samwu general-secretary Dumisani Magagula defended the strike. He said the City had failed to implement the Politically Facilitated Agreement and blamed poor leadership and mismanagement. Reports said the union also demanded that the city implement wage resolutions from 2016, which could set the city back by R10bn.

Joburg Water kept water restrictions in place for a 24-hour period that started on Saturday, so reservoir levels could recover. Residents in Hillbrow and Berea said they had gone without running water for up to three weeks.

Annette Deppe, the DA ward councillor in Midrand, said taps were dry and emergency water tankers were nowhere to be seen. She shared messages from the city's water chief operating officer that said Midrand water systems were critically low.Share

Hendrickse spoke ahead of the local government elections on Wednesday. He said teams are working hard to make sure voting stations are prepared and materials are in place.

He said the IEC took safety into account because of deadly gang conflict and taxi violence in parts of Cape Town. The South African Police Service is a security partner for the elections.

Hendrickse reminded voters to bring an accepted form of ID. He also told them to vote at the station where they are registered.Share