SACP Taps Madala Masuku to Lead Coalition Talks as Political Landscape Shifts in Limpopo

MIDRAND – South African Communist Party (SACP) General Secretary Solly Mapaila has appointed his deputy, Madala Masuku, to spearhead coalition government negotiations following the 2026 Local Government Elections.

The polls have produced hung municipalities, including the City of Polokwane in Limpopo, for the first time since the advent of democracy in 1994.

Mapaila made the announcement while addressing the media at the National Results Operations Centre in Midrand, Gauteng, on Friday, as political parties began positioning themselves for coalition negotiationsREAD MORE

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says it has completed 91% of the results processing for the 2026 Local Government Elections, with Gauteng emerging as the province with the lowest completion rate at 75%.

As political parties and candidates await the final outcome of the elections, the commission said on Friday that 150 of the country’s 213 municipalities, excluding the 44 district councils, had complete results by 5pm.

The Northern Cape is the only province where results processing hasREAD MORE

Floyd Shivambu’s Afrika Mayibuye Movement has vowed to turn its electoral breakthrough in Limpopo into tangible improvements in people’s lives, promising to prioritise job creation, reliable water supply and better service delivery after making significant inroads into two municipalities traditionally dominated by the African National Congress (ANC).

The party’s spokesperson, Sydney Baloyi, says Mayibuye will not take the confidence shown by voters in Greater Giyani and Collins Chabane Municipalities for granted, insisting that the movement is determined to translate itsREAD MORE

Former president and uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party leader Jacob Zuma refused to entertain further questions from journalists after his daughter, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, suffered a legal setback at the Durban High Court on Friday, where her application to have criminal charges linked to the July 2021 unrest withdrawn was dismissed.

Zuma, who was at court in support of his daughter, appeared increasingly impatient when journalists attempted to get another reaction from him following the judgment.

When asked to comment, he insistedREAD MORE

Residents across Gauteng and parts of Mpumalanga have been warned to prepare for potentially destructive thunderstorms on Friday, with disaster management teams placed on alert as authorities anticipate flooding, hailstorms, damaging winds and possible power outages.

The Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) has activated disaster management measures following a Level 4 impact-based warning issued by the National Forecast Centre, warning that severe weather could threaten lives, damage infrastructure and disrupt essential services.

The warning is valid fromREAD MORE

Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has described the party’s performance in the 2026 local government elections as a political earthquake, expressing excitement over the ANC’s declining support, particularly in Johannesburg, where the DA was leading with 40.3% against the governing party’s 17%.

Addressing journalists at the National Results Operations Centre in Midrand on Friday morning, Hill-Lewis said the election results reflected a significant shift in South Africa’s political landscape, with the DA making gains in metropolitan municipalities, townships andREAD MORE

ActionSA is preparing for coalition negotiations following encouraging support in Gauteng, with the party insisting that any agreement must be guided by clear conditions as the province’s three metropolitan municipalities head towards hung councils.

ActionSA Gauteng provincial chairperson Funzi Ngobeni said the party was encouraged by the support it had received across the province, thanking voters for placing their trust in the party.

“South Africans are putting their hopes in ActionSA. They believe we can bring accountability and fix ourREAD MORE

Four wildlife crime suspects arrested after allegedly being found in possession of two live endangered pangolins worth an estimated R1 million are expected to appear before the Rustenburg Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 06 November 2026.

The suspects, aged between 38 and 51, were arrested during an intelligence-driven operation at Waterfall Mall in Rustenburg on Wednesday, 04 November.

According to the South African Police Service (SAPS) in North West, the operation followed intelligence received by Crime Intelligence in Ivory Park aboutREAD MORE

At least 20 people have been arrested in Limpopo for various election-related offences during the 2026 Local Government Elections, with three suspects arrested in separate incidents in Tzaneen and Giyani expected to appear in court on Friday.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) Limpopo Division spokesperson Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said on Thursday that approximately 33 cases relating to election-related incidents were registered across the province between 02 and 04 November 2026.

The offences include contraventions of the Electoral Act 73READ MORE

World football Icon, Cristiano Ronaldo has delivered an emotional farewell to Portugal after bringing an end to his remarkable 23-year international career, describing representing his country as the greatest achievement of his football journey.

The 41-year-old superstar announced his retirement from international football on Thursday, November 5, 2026, bringing an emotional end to a chapter that began with his senior debut in August 2003.

Ronaldo leaves behind an extraordinary legacy, having made 234 appearances and scored a record 146 goalsREAD MORE