The Power Is in Your Hands: South Africans Head to Polls in Crucial Local Elections

Millions of South Africans are heading to voting stations on Wednesday as the country holds its 2026 Local Government Elections, with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) urging eligible voters to turn out in large numbers and exercise their democratic right.

Voting officially opened at 7am, with long queues already forming at several voting stations across the country before the doors opened, signalling an early start to what is expected to be a closely watched electoral contest.

IEC chairpersonREAD MORE

Higher Education and Training Minister Buti Manamela has urged students and young people across South Africa to turn out in numbers for Wednesday’s local government elections, warning that frustration and disappointment with political leadership should not discourage them from exercising their democratic right.

Manamela said the November 4 elections presented an important opportunity for young people to influence decisions that directly affect their daily lives, particularly in communities where they live, study and work.

For some students, Wednesday’s elections willREAD MORE

Water supply is gradually being restored to communities in Gauteng following the restoration of electricity at Rand Water’s Mapleton Pumping Station, but residents in parts of Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and surrounding municipalities could continue experiencing dry taps and low water pressure as the system recovers.

Rand Water confirmed that pumping operations resumed at approximately 3.10pm on Tuesday after an electricity outage brought operations at the Mapleton station to a complete standstill the previous evening.

The outage occurred at 8.35pm on Monday,READ MORE

Police have warned that lawlessness and attempts to undermine the integrity of the electoral process will not be tolerated as security preparations intensify ahead of Wednesday’s 2026 Local Government Elections.

Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia issued the warning on Tuesday after visiting the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) National Operations Centre at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, as the two-day special voting process drew to a close.

Cachalia was accompanied by Deputy Police Minister Dr Polly Boshielo and Deputy Justice andREAD MORE

Concerns over the security of election materials have emerged during the second day of special voting ahead of Wednesday’s Local Government Elections, after two women, including a proportional representation (PR) candidate, were arrested in the Eastern Cape for allegedly impersonating Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) officials and attempting to remove voting materials from a police station.

The women, aged 57 and 61, were arrested on Tuesday following an incident at Ngcobo Police Station, where they allegedly arrived early onREAD MORE

The City of Tshwane has made significant progress in rehabilitating the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works, but residents affected by the water contamination crisis will have to wait for laboratory tests and safety clearances before they can safely drink water from their taps.

Executive Mayor Nasiphi Moya said on Tuesday that technical teams had repaired critical equipment, cleaned treatment infrastructure and progressively restored filtration and chlorination processes at the plant, which has been at the centre of a water contamination crisisREAD MORE

Kaizer Chiefs are on the verge of landing a major attacking reinforcement, with Bafana Bafana winger Elias Mokwana expected to be unveiled as an Amakhosi player this week as the Soweto giants look to inject fresh firepower into their forward line.

The Naturena outfit have reportedly struck an agreement on personal terms with the highly-rated 27-year-old attacker, who is expected to undergo a medical examination before putting the finishing touches to his anticipated move on a free transfer.

Mokwana hasREAD MORE

The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party is mourning the killing of its KwaZulu-Natal regional organiser, Lastborn Shazi, who was shot dead at his residence in the Umzumbe area on Monday night, raising fresh concerns about political violence days before South Africans head to the polls.

The party’s provincial spokesperson, Mkhuseli Mlengane, told media that there were no leads in the case.

Shazi’s killing comes as political parties intensify their campaigns ahead of Wednesday’s local government elections, with KwaZulu-Natal once again facingREAD MORE

Thousands of residents across Gauteng and Mpumalanga face water supply disruptions after a lightning strike caused a power failure at Rand Water’s Mapleton Pumping Station in Boksburg, disrupting pumping operations and threatening supplies to six municipalities.

The outage, which occurred at about 8.35 pm on Monday, November 2, has affected the City of Ekurhuleni, City of Tshwane and four local municipalities: Lesedi, Govan Mbeki, Victor Khanye and Thembisile Hani.

Rand Water warned on Tuesday that the disruption was putting waterREAD MORE

The cellphones belonging to TikTok personality Nkululeko Maxwell “Max” Makhanya remain part of an ongoing police investigation following his arrest over a controversial social media video targeting KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

Makhanya, 38, was released on R7,000 bail by the Durban Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 2 November 2026, after appearing on charges of crimen injuria and incitement to commit violence.

Although he has been released from custody, the investigation into the allegations against him is continuing, withREAD MORE