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Gauteng recorded the most special votes with 264,898, followed by KwaZulu-Natal with 208,846 and Eastern Cape with 207,258. Limpopo had 180,627 and Mpumalanga 149,714. Western Cape had 148,493, North West 126,187, Free State 75,946 and Northern Cape 63,973.

IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya spoke at a media briefing at the Results Operation Centre in Midrand after voting stations closed at 5pm on Tuesday. He said the special votes are securely stored and the figures are preliminary. About 2.6 million approved voters could vote early.

Moepya said the commission is fully prepared for Election Day. He said logistical, security and operational arrangements are in place across all nine provinces. The commission said 29.2 million voters are registered, with 23,696 voting stations and 188,000 officials.

The commission condemned incidents of intimidation, disruption and damage to election materials. It said it is taking legal action against the people and political parties involved.Share

The Electoral Commission of South Africa hopes the second day of special voting goes more smoothly. Ballot deliveries ran late in Cape Town on the first day. Polling stations are expected to open at 8am.

Other stories on the day included the fraud case against Ekurhuleni municipal manager Kagiso Lerutla. His lawyers are considering an application to strike the case off the roll under Section 342A of the Criminal Procedure Act. They cite delays, including that representations made to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in September have no outcome yet.

Agricultural economist Wandile Sihlobo said South Africa's removal from AGOA does not mean the country will lose access to the US market. He said the move is not entirely unexpected, as South Africa already faced pressure in 2014 to move on from the arrangement.

Moscow's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said Russian air defences downed nearly 500 drones headed for the capital. He said a flare-up in fighting with Ukraine dashed hopes of progress towards peace.Share

Special voting took place over two days, on Monday and Tuesday. Reports from Johannesburg, Sandton, Mogale City, Krugersdorp, Orlando West and Pretoria covered the second day.

In Bronkhorstspruit, residents still face problems with water quality. Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya urged residents not to drink tap water until the municipality confirms it is safe in an official communication.Share

The meeting took place at the IEC's National Results Operations Centre in Midrand, a day before the Local Government Elections on Wednesday. Cachalia and the commissioners discussed progress with special voting and operational arrangements. Deputy Police Minister Polly Boshielo and Deputy Justice Minister Andries Nel are also named among those involved.

IEC spokesperson Mamabolo said at a media briefing that the commission had noted a sharp increase in prohibited conduct and clear criminal behaviour by some party supporters and candidates. The IEC said it is taking legal action against the people and parties involved in intimidation, disruption and damage to election materials.

Law enforcement said it will not tolerate lawlessness or any conduct that threatens the integrity of the electoral process. The Police Ministry said every effort is being made to support free, fair and peaceful elections. The National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NATJOINTS) coordinates election security.Share

The Electoral Commission (IEC) said it has operational arrangements in place in all nine provinces. It has 23,696 voting stations nationwide and deployed 188,000 officials across them. Campaigning ends at midnight.

IEC Chairperson Mosotho Moepya spoke at a media briefing at the National Results Operations Centre in Midrand. He said the secrecy of every vote is a basic principle of democracy and must be protected. The Commission also warned that false or misleading information can undermine public confidence in the election.

Lieutenant General Tebello Mosikili, co-chairperson of the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJOINTS), said law enforcement readiness is at the highest operational level. He said planning took into account the security environment, past incidents, intelligence and possible threats.

Mosikili warned that protests on Election Day are prohibited. He said anyone who breaks the rules in Section 76 of the Municipal Electoral Act will face action. He and Moepya both urged voters to keep the day peaceful.Share

Moepya said canvassing, door-to-door campaigns, demonstrations and rallies are also not allowed after midnight. He said the limits aim to protect voters from intimidation and interference. Voters may still wear political party shirts or colours, he said.

Moepya said the IEC has secured all ballot papers and essential election materials and sent them to voting stations. He said logistical, security and operational plans are in place. Reports put the number of voting stations at nearly 24,000, with over 29 million registered voters.

He said the secrecy of every vote must always be protected. He said the IEC does not want people to stand in long queues without need. He called on parties and voters to show tolerance and peace, and urged registered voters to turn out.

The IEC warned that false or misleading information could undermine public confidence in the electoral process. Voters can send an SMS to 32810 at a cost of R1 to verify their registration details. The department of home affairs will keep its offices open on election day to help voters with identity documents.Share

KwaZulu-Natal electoral officer Ntombifuthi Masinga explained the dismissal at a media briefing at the IEC operating centre in Durban. She said the IEC had no option but to end the officer's service, because he knew he would perform election duties.

The IEC said it would open a criminal case over the storm of the storage facility at a Mariannhill library once the party affiliations of those involved were confirmed. Masinga said party members had demanded that the IEC change its Dassenhoek Library storage facility, citing past break-ins and computer thefts. The facility serves four wards and 24 voting stations.

Masinga said fears about the safety of the materials in the facility were not justified. She also said political parties had shown a sudden interest in storage facilities since the 2024 general elections.

The IEC approved 362,878 special votes in KwaZulu-Natal. It administered 133,931 of them on Monday, which is 37% of the total. The IEC said 83,315 people were still to be processed on Tuesday. Voting stations open at 7:00am and close at 9:00pm on Wednesday.Share

Mokonyane said the problem is not a lack of water. She said the system does not supply water reliably. She blamed the system and the entities that manage it, which she said South Africans wanted to be independent.

She compared the crisis to the earlier power shortages. She said it was Eskom a few years ago and is now water. She said it is not only a Johannesburg issue.

Mokonyane said she voted for the ANC on all three ballots. Rand Water issued a statement warning residents against overconsumption.Share

Mmakgabo Ramatlhodi, an IEC assistant manager, said voters must show identification at the door controller. She said digital identification documents are not accepted. Voters are also marked with indelible ink, which she said takes a few days to remove and protects the integrity of the process.

Voters in metropolitan municipalities receive two ballot papers. Voters in local municipalities receive a third ballot, the district PR ballot. That ballot decides 40% of the seats in the district council.

Ramatlhodi said a ballot that is not stamped at the back will count as spoiled. She also said more than one mark on a ballot could lead to it being declared invalid.Share

Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo spoke at a media briefing in Midrand. He reminded voters that they receive two or three ballot papers, depending on the municipality. He asked them to mark the correct paper and fold each completed ballot before they put it in the right box.

The Commission said it had registered 34 complaints on the Real411 platform. Twitter / X had 58.8% of the complaints and TikTok had 23.5%. Facebook and WhatsApp had 8.8% each.

Mamabolo said unproven claims of election fraud had led supporters to post videos of presiding officers and staff. The videos show staff moving special vote ballots from carrying boxes and bags into the main ballot box. He said they were shared without context, alongside claims that something wrong was happening.

The Commission said it had already acted quickly against election officials who failed to do their duties as required.Share

Michael Hendricks, the IEC electoral officer for the Western Cape, said the commission has a high level of confidence in its preparations. He said unexpected problems can still happen and the IEC will respond to them as they occur. The IEC said an unforeseen delay by its contracted printing company caused the late openings. The company was reprinting ballots after a Constitutional Court ruling.

Nationally, 2.6 million people registered for special votes. In the Western Cape, 292,000 people registered. The IEC said 28 million ballots already printed and distributed were no longer suitable because they did not include all contesting parties. It authorised the reprinting of 33 million ballots.

Separately, police arrested a wanted gang member after a shootout in Manenberg, about 150m from a voting station on Ruimte Road. Western Cape police said the suspect allegedly opened fire on officers when he saw them. Police found 32 rounds of ammunition on him, and the Anti-Gang Unit was deployed for security.Share

Mamabolo spoke at an IEC media briefing on the local government elections. He said some parties made fraud claims without proof. Supporters then posted videos of presiding officers moving special vote ballots, shared without context.

Of the Real411 complaints, 58.8% involved X and 23.5% involved TikTok. Facebook and WhatsApp together made up 8.8%.

Mamabolo alleged that a candidate in ward 30 in the Phake Rankahile voting district stormed a voting station and damaged election materials. He also alleged that MK Party supporters stormed the IEC satellite warehouse at Dassenhoek Library and held election officials hostage. Two people allegedly tried to reach election materials by posing as IEC officials.

The IEC recorded about 970,000 station-based special votes and 421,000 home visits for special votes. Special voting continues until 5 November. Mamabolo said the commission is taking legal steps to hold the people and parties involved to account.Share

Police in the Eastern Cape arrested two women. The commission said they allegedly tried to steal election material from the Ngcobo Police Station. In Mpumalanga, police arrested a candidate in Ward 30 after he allegedly stormed a voting station.

Sy Mamabolo, the IEC Chief Electoral Officer, spoke at a media briefing in Midrand. He said the candidate stormed the Phake Rankaile voting district station and damaged electoral materials.

Mamabolo also said supporters of a party stormed a satellite warehouse where election materials are kept. He said they held election officials hostage. He said such acts threaten the integrity of the electoral process.

He said the commission has seen a sharp rise in conduct that the law prohibits. He said some party supporters have acted in plainly unlawful ways.Share

Mokonyane heads the ANC's international relations desk. She said Agoa makes up 1% of the whole trade relationship between South Africa and the US. She also said the White House decision was an act of desperation meant to sway South African voters and push a regime-change agenda.

She said the US administration wants to appeal to right-wing and conservative groups through its stance on South Africa. She added that the US is a critical role player, but the world is not the US. She blamed those who oppose the country's transformation policies, especially on land reform and property rights, for its economic challenges.

VF Plus leader Corne Mulder wrote on X that the end of Agoa membership is a total disaster. He blamed incompetence among those in charge of international relations. Mokonyane criticised his comments.

Trade, industry and competition minister Parks Tau said the decision does not define the wider relationship between the two countries. He said a solution would depend on both sides being willing to talk. The government said the loss of Agoa could harm South African investments in the US and disrupt supply chains in the car and boat-building industries.Share

Mamabolo said an Economic Freedom Fighters candidate for Ward 30 in Mpumalanga stormed a voting station and damaged election materials. Police arrested the candidate. He also said a candidate of the Ngcobo Yethu Civic Organisation was arrested in Ngcobo in the Eastern Cape. The Commission said that candidate posed as electoral officials to get election materials.

Mamabolo said supporters of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) stormed the Dassenhoek library satellite warehouse in KwaZulu-Natal, where election materials are kept. He said they held election officials hostage. He said MKP supporters made similar attempts to get materials at Richmond and Pietermaritzburg. Police dispersed MKP members.

Mamabolo said the conduct ranged from intimidation of officials to disruption of voting and tampering with materials. He said it cannot be justified and must not harm the country's democratic processes. The second and final day of special voting ended at 5pm on Tuesday.Share

The Mankweng man appeared in court, and the case was postponed to 30 November. Police spokesperson Brigadier Hlulani Mashaba said the removal of posters was reportedly captured on video. The case was registered at Mankweng police station under Section 92 of the Electoral Act.

In Sekhukhune District, Mashaba said a complainant's party T-shirt was forcibly removed and set alight. He said members of a different political party had accosted the complainant.

Limpopo police commissioner Lieutenant-General Jan Petrus Scheepers said police will take a hard line on intimidation, violence and the unlawful removal or destruction of election material. He urged parties and communities to respect the law and settle differences peacefully.Share

Police spokesperson Brig Hlulani Mashaba said the incidents happened on Monday at the voting station in the Humulani settlement. He said the 32-year-old allegedly took the photo after he voted. Police said one of the voters allegedly posted the image on his social media status.

Mashaba said the second man allegedly photographed his marked ballot paper and then became aggressive when confronted. One account said he verbally insulted the presiding officer before he left. The Electoral Commission of SA advised the presiding officer to open a case with police.

The 32-year-old was expected to appear in the Lulekani magistrate's court on Wednesday.Share

Schreiber gave the answer in a written reply to EFF MP Paulnita Marais, who asked about long queues and system outages. He said the 724 posts are in various phases of filling, as at 30 September 2026.

The minister said staff shortages may worsen queues and delays at certain offices. He said system outages and other operational factors also affect service.

Schreiber said the department is hiring and rolling out its Home Affairs@Home digitalisation programme, along with digital literacy training. He said the programme aims to add to staff capacity by automating processes and expanding digital service channels.Share

KwaZulu-Natal electoral officer Ntombifuthi Masinga disclosed the dismissal at a media briefing in Durban. She said the officer was moving sensitive material at the end of the day.

The Electoral Commission said items such as ballot papers, security stamps, ink and the voters' roll do not stay overnight at a voting station. It said presiding officers are sometimes trusted to transport this material. The commission said it fired the officer and will not take the matter any further.Share

John Masuku, a 70-year-old voter from Hillbrow, said he was voting because he needs the roads fixed. He said the roads and traffic lights where he lives do not work, so crossing a busy road is hard.

Masuku also said open sewage drains in his area put young people at risk. He said a pupil almost fell into an open sewage pipe.

Another voter, who did not give his name, said residents have to vote because otherwise leaders will do nothing. Aviwe Ngcina, originally from the Eastern Cape, also spoke about why she was voting.Share

The case concerned the theft of $580,000 (R9.6m) in cash from President Cyril Ramaphosa's Phala Phala farm in Limpopo. Magistrate Peter Manthata presided. The matter is postponed to 13 November 2026 for pre-sentence proceedings.

Ramaphosa said the cash came from Sudanese businessman Hazim Mustafa, who paid it to former farm manager Sylvester Ndlovu on Christmas Day in 2019. He said Mustafa wanted to buy a herd of buffalo.

Former State Security Agency director-general Arthur Fraser opened a separate case against Ramaphosa, presidential protection head Wally Rhoode and crime intelligence members. He accused them of kidnapping and money-laundering, for allegedly hiding the break-in. The court noted a delay of two years between the incident and the opening of the criminal case.Share

Police spokesperson Nobuntu Gantana said the presiding officer was in the queue at the station at the time. The officer dismissed the women's claims.

Gantana said the two suspects were being processed after their arrest. Police allege the women posed as an official of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).Share

AccuWeather forecasts a possible afternoon thunderstorm in Pretoria. Thunderstorms are possible in parts of Johannesburg too. The forecast gives a 55% probability of precipitation and a 33% chance of thunderstorms for both cities.

Forecast rainfall is 1.3mm in Pretoria and 2.2mm in Johannesburg. The maximum UV index is 13 in both cities, which is classed as extreme. Cape Town has a maximum UV index of 5, which is moderate.

Overnight lows are forecast at 20°C in Pretoria, 17°C in Johannesburg and 16°C in Cape Town.Share

DA national spokesperson Jan de Villiers said the party wrote to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) with three requests. The DA says the delays affected stations in the Western Cape, Gauteng, Free State, Mpumalanga and KwaZulu-Natal.

The party asked for a timeline, a guarantee that approved special voters can vote, and a full explanation to parties in the party liaison committee. De Villiers said voters need reassurance that similar delays will not happen on election day, when all ballot papers must be in place.

Special voting continues on Tuesday. About 2.6 million South Africans are approved for special votes in the 2026 local government elections.Share

Meth stressed that voting is a right in the Constitution. She said employers must not threaten workers, punish them or block them from using that right.

She also asked employers and employees to plan their voting arrangements in advance. Special votes were cast on Monday and Tuesday.Share

The parade in Durban on Tuesday included SAPS officers, army members and staff of the road traffic inspectorate. Mkhwanazi, the KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner and a Lieutenant General, told them to deal decisively with anyone who tries to disrupt the elections.

He said officers must enforce the electoral act and the other laws of the country without compromise. He also told them not to take political sides.

Mkhwanazi said the police must treat every political party and all members of the public in the same way.Share

The party said Shazi was shot at his homestead in Umzumbe, in the Ugu area. Police did not immediately respond to queries and had not given further details. One report called him a regional coordinator and said he was in a virtual meeting on election plans.

Party spokesperson Mkhuseli Mlengane said KwaZulu-Natal has a painful history of political killings. The party said anyone who planned or helped with the killing must be identified and brought to justice. One report said the party also asked the Independent Police Investigative Directorate to investigate.

ActionSA representative Zwakele Mncwango said the motive is not known and that people must rely on police investigations. He said it is hard to call the killing political if Shazi received no threats. The elections take place on 4 November 2026.Share

The debate brought together the DA, ANC, EFF, GOOD and the National Coloured Congress (NCC). Lester Kiewit moderated it. Parties discussed the housing crisis, gangsterism, policing and service delivery.

Francine Higham of the DA said the city had invested more than R40 billion in infrastructure over five years, with more spending planned. She also said suspects return to communities soon after arrest, and that residents live in fear.

Carl Niehaus of the EFF said the DA had upheld divisions in Cape Town after 20 years in control of the City. He said: "The answer to crime is socioeconomic development." Brett Herron of GOOD said boots on the ground are not solving crime.

NCC leader Fadiel Adams said backyard dwellers in coloured communities are being overlooked. Opposition parties also said the DA is wrong to warn of a "coalition of chaos". ANC mayoral candidate Jerimia Thuynsma also took part.Share

Special votes are for registered voters who are physically infirm or disabled, or who cannot get to their voting station on Election Day. Election officials also visit some of these voters at home on 2 and 3 November.

The Commission said ballots for special votes reached some areas of the Western Cape late, which it called an unforeseen delay. Michael Hendrickse is the Western Cape Provincial Electoral Officer.

The Commission said voters who miss the home visit are not disenfranchised. They can still vote at their voting station on 4 November 2026. It also said the first day created a solid basis for better performance on day two and on election day.Share

OR Tambo District Municipality has over 1 000 voting districts and over 1100 voting stations. Police said the district has limited police officials for that number of sites.

Ncatha said the three high-risk voting stations are linked to the number of officers to be deployed. He said a police chopper has been made available.

Ncatha explained how the district was categorised. He said: "The categorisation was done and concluded by our intelligence community."Share