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Mzwanele “Rez Inyanzi” Tshishonga and Thulani Gankca are breathing new life into ancestral stories through art and drawing on their heritage to shape their creative journeys and open doors to new opportunities.

The pair are among four artists selected for the 2026 Gallery on the Greens Residency, an eight-week artist-development programme by the 2Roads Art Foundation that bridges the gap between creative talent and sustainable careers through mentorship, studio space and industry exposure.

Now in its second year, the residency is responding to a growing demand for artist-development opportunities, having attracted more than 200 applications for its inaugural programme in 2025.

Set along the tranquil banks of the Vaal River at The Other Road in Meyerton, south of Johannesburg, the residency brought together Tshishonga, Gankca, Mpendulo Nkabinde and Shandré Lummis to develop new bodies of work while gaining practical skills to navigate the art market.

The quartet follow in the footsteps of the inaugural cohort of Sibusiso Molwantwa, Lemé Arends, Alfred Kitsi and Victor Eniola.

As the residency draws to a close this month, the artists are preparing to showcase their collections at a public exhibition followed by an art auction.

For Tshishonga, a 34-year-old ceramist, researcher and educator, the opportunity proves that local artists need not look beyond the country’s borders for meaningful creative development.

“There aren’t a lot of local residencies,” says Tshishonga. “When you’re applying for a residency, in many instances you’re leaving the country, looking at Europe, the United States or maybe even South America.

“[The Gallery on the Greens residency has allowed me to] detach from my environment and be given time to practice and create work.

“The other highlight is the intentionality of the residency to connect us with the industry, inviting different gallerists and stakeholders in the art world to visit us in our studios and have conversations.

“As an upcoming artist, it’s never just a question of talent but of networking and who’s aware of your work or you as a practitioner.”

The photographer-turned-ceramist grew up in a culturally rich home in Gqeberha, where his artistic curiosity and love for self-expression took root.

“I picked up a camera at the age of 10, and this mainly was because my dad was also a photographer and influenced me. Photography became my main medium until three years ago, when I went to do my honours in fine arts at Wits, and that’s where I picked up ceramics, particularly sculpture. I’ve been practising since 2023.”

Tshishonga recently earned his master’s degree in fine art from the university.

For the Gallery on the Greens residency, Tshishonga drew inspiration from the nearby Vaal River, creating clay sculptures rooted in African folklore and ancestral beliefs about water, spirituality, healing and the passing down of cultural knowledge.

“I asked the question, ‘How can we better understand the stories shared with us as children about water entities?’ Essentially, it asked how we understand water and the entities we encounter in spaces with large bodies of water. To be intimately located near the river and create from that space has been something fulfilling,” Tshishonga says.

Self-taught artist, painter and printmaker Gankca, 33, grew up between Thokoza in Gauteng and eNgcobo village in the Eastern Cape, drawing on his contrasting urban and rural upbringing to explore culture and identity through art.

“Relocating to Gauteng at a young age shaped my understanding of culture and identity because, as I grew older, I began to observe how people choose to exist in both places,” Gankca says.

“I started to become aware of the multiculturalism of the more urban space [Gauteng] and noticed similarities within the many nations of people existing in the space and their unique cultural identities. This influenced my openness to the world and how I view people.”

In 2018, Gankca left his budding career in human resources to pursue his first love — art. He embarked on a creative journey that introduced him to new techniques and the wider art world.

“Creating art is a calling, something that is passed on to me. In 2017, in the middle of my HR internship, I realised it was something I had been doing since I was a child and enjoyed, so why not make it a career?” Gankca says.

“I started my studies at Artist Proof Studio in Johannesburg in 2020, where I studied printmaking and painting.”

He graduated in 2023.

Gankca’s latest body of work draws inspiration from trees as guardians of history and ancestral wisdom, exploring the connection between nature, cultural memory and the passing of knowledge across generations.

“My highlight of the residency has been enjoying the slow pace of life and the proximity to the natural world. I believe the lesson I walk away with is that growth can sometimes be slow, but it does not mean it’s not happening,” Gankca says.

“The working title of my work is Wisdom Keepers, and the inspiration behind this is the many kinds of tree species surrounding the Vaal River area. Through this work, I recognise them as silent witnesses and keepers of wisdom and as a symbol of the relationship between the natural world and people.

“The work is also inspired by observing the history of wisdom keepers in my family and their role in passing down knowledge between different generations.”

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Preliminary figures show 12-million voters cast their ballots across the country by Wednesday afternoon.

TimesLIVE

Join The Political Arena team live as the first results trickle in and our journalists unpack early trends, surprise swings and the numbers shifting by the hour.

Sowetan

At least 20 pilot whales were stranded along the Ngawi coast near Cape Palliser, the southern-most point of the North Island, the department of conservation said.

The department said it was working with local iwi — a Maori tribe — and Project Jonah, a group that specialises in rescuing stranded whales. Two whales have been successfully refloated so far.

Locals said up to 50 whales had been stranded on the coastline overnight, Radio New Zealand reported.

Most succumbed to their injuries and volunteers were trying to keep survivors alive and hydrated using buckets of water and towels.

“It’s horrible. The ones that are alive are on their last breaths,” Ngawi local Rob Bargh told Radio New Zealand.

In a post on Facebook on Thursday, Project Jonah said four whales were alive and rescuers would try to refloat them during high tide.

Whale strandings are fairly common in New Zealand and neighbouring Australia owing to large populations of pilot whales living in the deep oceans surrounding both island nations. The cause of whale stranding is unknown.

Reuters

Jones followed in the footsteps of compatriot Jack Brabham when he secured the drivers’ title in 1980 to become the first of the British team’s seven world champions.

“We are extremely saddened to announce the passing of our beloved Alan, who passed away on 5 November following a short illness,” his wife Amanda Butler-Davis said in a statement released on her behalf by Motorsport Australia.

“He will be dearly missed and fondly remembered by those closest to him, as well as the many fans whose support he was always grateful for.”

A tough, uncompromising racer, Jones was the archetype of the sort of driver Frank Williams looked for as he built a team that won nine constructors’ world titles in the 1980s and 1990s.

“He never needed propping up mentally, because he was a very determined and bullish character,” Williams, who died in 2021, said of the Australian, according to the sport’s official website. “He didn’t need any babysitting or hand-holding and that’s the way it should be. It shouldn’t be necessary for me to ask a driver if he is happy, or if he needs his underwear changed.”

Born in Melbourne, the son of a racing driver, Jones headed to Europe to further his ambitions and made his Formula One debut in a Hesketh at the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix. He took the first of his 12 race wins in Austria for the Shadow team in 1977 but his career was largely undistinguished until he joined Williams in 1978.

Jones won five world championship races in the 1980 season and finished on the podium in all but one of the grands prix he completed to clinch the title ahead of Brazilian Nelson Piquet. He remains Australia’s last Formula One champion and the last local to win the Australian Grand Prix, taking the chequered flag at Melbourne’s Calder Park Raceway in 1980 when the race was not part of the world championship.

Jones started in 116 Formula One races in all and earned his last victory in Las Vegas in 1981 before announcing his retirement at the end of the season. After spurning an approach from Ferrari and dropping in for a couple of races, Jones made a proper return to Formula One with the new Haas team in 1985 and raced largely unsuccessfully through the 1986 season before retiring for good.

He continued to compete in touring car and endurance races, mostly in Australia, until the early years of the new century, last racing in V8 Supercars in 2002. After his Formula One career, Jones became a motorsports pundit on Australian TV, where his insight and straight-talking proved popular with fans.

“Alan dedicated his life to motorsport, building a legacy that will live on through the countless people he touched along the way,” his wife’s statement said. “Through his achievements, passion and unmistakable character, both on and off the track, Alan left an enduring mark on the sport both nationally and across the globe.”

Reuters

November 5 2026, 10:00

WATCH LIVE | IEC updates media on early vote-counting

November 5 2026, 09:44

WATCH LIVE | The Political Arena team looks at the numbers trickling in

November 5 2026, 09:20

KZN voter turnout tops national average at 48.7 percent

KwaZulu-Natal’s preliminary voter turnout stood at 48.7%, above the national figure of 45.8% on Thursday morning.

Provincial electoral officer Ntombifuthi Masinga said the figures remained provisional, with only 18% of the province’s results captured and 12% audited.

The turnout figures put KZN 2.9 percentage points ahead of the national average, but Masinga said that outstanding results could change the picture.

KZN voter turnout tops national average at 48.7 percent

November 5 2026 09:14

21% of the votes have now been counted. The ANC is currently leading, having received 1.34 million votes, followed by the DA with 1.27 million and the MKP currently has 240,000 votes.

November 5 2026 09:00

10% of votes captured in Gauteng and the DA is leading with 39.26% followed by ANC with 18.55% and ActionSA at 15.17%.

November 5 2026 08:52

A lot of pink spots on the KZN map this morning, with Jacob Zuma’s MKP taking an early lead of 32.6%, followed by ANC with 23.99%. The IFP is closely behind with 21.95%. Only 11% of votes have been captured.

November 5 2026, 08:48

Woman arrested at Mugoboya voting station for disrupting voting

A 25-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly disrupting the voting process at Mugoboya voting station in the Mopani district on Wednesday.

The woman is expected to appear before the Lenyenye magistrate’s court on Friday.

She was arrested following an incident in which she allegedly attempted to take photographs and record a video while casting her vote. The presiding officer informed her that such conduct was prohibited by law and would not be permitted.

Woman arrested at Mugoboya voting station for disrupting voting

November 5 2026 08:42

In Ekurhuleni, with 9% of the votes counted, the DA is currently leading the race, followed by the ANC.

Counting continues….@Sowetan1981 pic.twitter.com/2uVZHJwbSd

— The Journalist (@Moloi_Herman1) November 5, 2026

November 5 2026 08:29

With only 2% of the votes counted and captured in Emfuleni, the DA is leading the race, followed by the VF Plus.

Counting continues…@Sowetan1981 pic.twitter.com/XrkrKdaX5J

— The Journalist (@Moloi_Herman1) November 5, 2026

November 5 2026, 07:21

Party	% Support	Seats	Votes
ANC	31.76%	120	862,877
DA	31.23%	81	848,677
MKP	5.13%	4	139,382

• Counting is at 15% complete
• For all your live results visit the IEC.

November 5 2026, 07:00

Youth unemployment tops concerns as Atteridgeville, Saulsville residents vote

The communities of Atteridgeville and Saulsville cast their votes in the local government elections on Wednesday, hoping their preferred candidates will address unemployment and create more job opportunities for young people.

When TimesLIVE visited several voting stations in the area, residents expressed concern about the high levels of youth unemployment, saying many young people remain without opportunities, with some turning to drugs as a coping mechanism.

Youth unemployment tops concerns as Atteridgeville, Saulsville residents vote

November 5 2026, 05:00

Youth stay away from polls as townships turn quiet while suburbs queue to vote

Thousands of young people appeared to have turned their back on the local government elections in townships such as Nyanga, Langa and Khayelitsha, with some opting to treat election day as a public holiday rather than exercise their right to vote.

While some voting stations in these communities were relatively quiet, with mostly elderly residents turning out, long queues could be seen at several polling stations in the suburbs, highlighting a stark contrast in voter participation across the city.

Youth stay away from polls as townships turn quiet while suburbs queue to vote

November 5 2026, 05:00

SOWETAN | Big day for democracy as millions cast votes

Yesterday, millions of South Africans descended on polling stations to vote for change in the local government elections, much as they did in the first democratic elections in 1994.

Although much of the public debate in the coming days will focus on voter turnout and the outcome, the significance of the voters who showed up at voting stations should not be minimised. Like those who turned up in 1994 to usher in the first democratic government, this year’s local government election is about more than platitudes and numbers.

Given the growing dissatisfaction with the state of municipalities and the delivery of basic services such as water, electricity and sanitation, yesterday’s voting was also about the maturity of our democracy. Voter registration has trended upward, even when turnout in some elections has been inconsistent.

SOWETAN | Big day for democracy as millions cast votes

November 5 2026, 05:00

Young and old come out for change

From first-time voters hoping to secure jobs and safer communities, to pensioners determined to see long-promised basic services delivered, young and old voters went to the polls on Wednesday with one common demand: change.

In Hammanskraal, Midrand, Johannesburg and the Vaal, voters said their ballots represented an opportunity to influence the future of communities struggling with unemployment, crime, poor roads, water shortages and failing municipal services.

For 24-year-old Puseletso Mafuma, voting for the first time in Temba, Hammanskraal, was an emotional milestone that made her feel her voice finally mattered. “I feel relieved that finally, I get to choose which party rules. It feels like I have a say, you know. It feels like my voice is finally getting heard,” she said.

Young and old come out for change

November 5 2026, 04:45

EDITORIAL | Thank you, your vote made a difference

As South Africans flocked to churches, schools and community centres yesterday to make their mark in a quest for improved service delivery and a better life, another election played out on the other side of the world that has the potential to move the needle down at the bottom of Africa.

Despite being in another country thousands of kilometres away, the US midterm elections have had repercussions across the world. The landslide Democrat victory has shifted the balance of power and effectively made President Donald Trump a lame duck for his remaining two years in office.

EDITORIAL | Thank you, your vote made a difference

November 5 2026, 04:45

Change in the air as election fever sweeps eThekwini

ANC exile-era struggle songs replaced protest chants in Durban’s CBD on Wednesday where ironically a flash mob of singing MK Party supporters shimmied down Diakonia Avenue, in almost anticipatory celebration.

Minutes later, not to be outdone or written off, a group of ANC-clad supporters waved the party’s flag, singing and ululating to drum up support along the street where voting stations were set up at the Durban Music Centre and YMCA Park.

There snaking queues of voters waited patiently, determined to put an end to the rot, crime and water crisis in the volatile economic hub, which has courted xenophobic civil unrest in the past two month.

Change in the air as election fever sweeps eThekwini

November 5 2026, 04:30

EXPLAINER | How the IEC’s dispute resolution system works

South Africa’s electoral dispute resolution system gives political parties several avenues to challenge alleged irregularities, report administrative failures and seek action against breaches of election rules. But the processes are not interchangeable and parties must use the correct legal channel and meet the applicable deadlines if they want their complaints to be considered.

As South Africans voted in Wednesday’s local government elections, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) must ensure that complaints are dealt with in accordance with the law.

EXPLAINER | How the IEC’s dispute resolution system works

November 5 2026, 04:30

WATCH | ‘What’s the point of voting?’ ask people who boycotted elections

While millions of South Africans made their way to voting stations to cast their votes on Wednesday, residents of Ga-Chokoe outside Mokopane in Limpopo boycotted the elections over a dispute concerning municipal ward demarcation.

Mahlora Primary School, which was designated as a voting station, was empty for most of the day as residents refused to cast their ballots.

Only the police and IEC officials could be seen inside the school. There weren’t even party agents outside. The roads were empty as residents decided to stay home. This followed a community meeting where it was decided that no-one would vote.

WATCH | ‘What’s the point of voting?’ ask people who boycotted elections

November 5 2026, 04:30

SA voter turnout threatens to redraw political map

More than 40% of South Africa’s registered voters had cast ballots by 5pm in municipal elections on Wednesday, with three hours of voting remaining, as the contest threatens to further weaken the ANC and reshape coalitions governing the country’s biggest cities.

About 12-million people had voted by that point, up from 3.5-million at 10am, according to preliminary figures released by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) in a briefing on Wednesday night. Gauteng recorded the highest number of votes at about 3-million, followed by KwaZulu-Natal at 2.5-million and the Western Cape at 1.5-million.

SA voter turnout threatens to redraw political map

November 4 2026, 21:58

ANC says two members attacked in KZN while on way to vote

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal says two of its members were injured and taken to hospital after an alleged attack in Abaqulusi, while police say the incident was not politically motivated.

The party alleged on Wednesday that IFP supporters assaulted its voters on their way to vote in Siyaphambili voting district in ward 4 of Abaqulusi local municipality.

ANC says two members attacked in KZN while on way to vote

November 4 2026, 20:47

When voting closes: IEC explains next steps and results declaration

With voting in Wednesday’s election drawing to a close, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has outlined the processes that follows, from the counting of ballots at voting stations to the verification and eventual announcement of the results.

IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said all ballot papers would be counted at the voting stations.

When voting closes: IEC explains next steps and results declaration

November 4 2026, 20:20

SA voter turnout threatens to redraw political map

More than 40% of South Africa’s registered voters had cast ballots by 5pm in municipal elections on Wednesday, with three hours of voting remaining, as the contest threatens to further weaken the ANC and reshape coalitions governing the country’s biggest cities.

About 12-million people had voted by that point, up from 3.5-million at 10am, according to preliminary figures released by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) in a briefing on Wednesday night. Gauteng recorded the highest number of votes at about 3-million, followed by KwaZulu-Natal at 2.5-million and the Western Cape at 1.5-million.

SA voter turnout threatens to redraw political map

November 4 2026, 19:51

WATCH | ‘No water, no vote’: East Rand residents skip polls over three-day outage

Several residents in eSindane, Tsakane, on the East Rand, stayed away from voting stations on Wednesday, saying they had gone three days without water and felt neglected by those seeking their votes.

Residents said the water outage, which began on Monday morning, had left them struggling with basic household needs, including cooking, bathing and doing laundry, while intermittent electricity supply added to their frustrations.

WATCH | ‘No water, no vote’: East Rand residents skip polls over three-day outage

November 4 2026, 19:16

MK supporters celebrate early in eThekwini

ANC exile-era struggle songs replaced protest chants in Durban’s CBD on Wednesday, where a flash mob of singing MK party supporters shimmied down Diakonia Avenue in almost anticipatory celebration.

MK supporters celebrate early in eThekwini

November 4 2026, 19:11

Water crisis takes centre stage in municipal election battle

Political leaders cast their votes countrywide on Wednesday as the battle for control of South Africa’s 257 municipalities intensified, with service delivery failures, particularly persistent water shortages, emerging as a big election battleground.

Water crisis takes centre stage in municipal election battle

November 4 2026, 18:59

WATCH | Old people standing in queues say they didn’t know about special votes

Some elderly voters who were approved for special votes turned up at polling stations in Kathorus (Katlehong, Thokoza, Vosloorus), Ekurhuleni, with election observers reporting confusion over the process and concerns about people trying to use their age to skip queues.

An observer said several senior citizens who were expected to vote on Monday or Tuesday had instead arrived on election day.

WATCH | Old people standing in queues say they didn’t know about special votes

November 4 2026, 18:52

IEC assures voters they will not be turned away if they arrive before 9pm

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has assured voters that they will be allowed to cast their ballots even if voting is extended beyond the official 9pm closing time, provided they arrive at their registered voting stations before the deadline.

This comes as voting enters its final hours in the 2026 local government elections, with preliminary figures showing that 12-million voters had cast their ballots across the country by 5pm on Wednesday.

IEC assures voters they will not be turned away if they arrive before 9pm

November 4 2026, 18:51

WATCH | The NPA head, Andy Mothibi, says they are prioritising cases relating to elections to ensure speedy prosecution in order to protect the integrity of the polls. Some of the cases being investigated and prioritised include that of a celebrity posting their ballot paper on… pic.twitter.com/ikfviR4981

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 18:39

WATCH | Siboniso Bhengu, a resident of Nomzamo informal settlement in Soweto, said he arrived at the voting station at 7am but found that IEC officials had not opened. After returning from work at 3pm, he went back to cast his vote but was still waiting in a long queue,… pic.twitter.com/2IJgX76tgK

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 18:23

‘Vote for dignity,’ urges EFF Joburg mayoral candidate Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng

EFF mayoral candidate for Johannesburg Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng has urged voters to exercise their democratic right despite the despondency.

“Voting is the single most fundamental civic duty and we are only asking for people to do it every four years,” she said before entering her allocated voting station in Parkmore, north of Johannesburg.

‘Vote for dignity,’ urges EFF Joburg mayoral candidate Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng

November 4 2026, 18:21

Tumisho Masha under fire for posting marked ballot paper

Tumisho Masha has found himself in legal hot water.

As celebrities flooded the timeline to share images of their inked thumbs to show their participation in the 2026 local government election on Wednesday, Tumisho took to his social media, not only posting his thumb but also the alleged ballot paper revealing he voted for ActionSA.

Tumisho Masha under fire for posting marked ballot paper

November 4 2026, 18:12

Zuma casts vote, satisfied with voting process

MK Party president Jacob Zuma is confident his party will win the local government elections, saying he believes South Africans have recognised it as a party capable of taking over the country and governing it well.

Zuma was speaking after casting his vote on Wednesday at Ntolwane Primary School in Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal, where he arrived wearing an MK Party T-shirt bearing his image and sporting his trademark smile.

Zuma casts vote, satisfied with voting process

November 4 2026, 18:10

RECORDED| IEC briefs media on progress of local government elections

November 4 2026, 18:08

WATCH | DA Emfuleni mayoral candidate Kingsol Chabalala says coalitions are not part of the party’s plans, insisting it is campaigning for an outright majority. He says the ANC should start clearing its offices, as the DA is confident of taking over the municipality. pic.twitter.com/6U3Q2NOU2G

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 17:40

Bontle Mavuka, 22, cast her vote at The New Brethren Apostolic Church in Thokoza, Ekurhuleni. She spoke to our reporter Michelle Banda about why she made her voice heard. pic.twitter.com/cUuokPdT3s

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 17:38

WATCH | On coalitions, the IFP’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate Mlungisi Mabaso addressing the media at Dube hostel said the party is sober and outcome-driven, able to work with everyone. He said the IFP is expanding beyond KwaZulu-Natal and is contesting to win Johannesburg, not… pic.twitter.com/BmkwB5CrXq

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 17:23

Kingsol Chabalala confident DA will unseat ANC in Emfuleni

The DA’s mayoral candidate in Emfuleni municipality, Kingsol Chabalala, said his vote signals the beginning of the end of what he describes as years of chaos, poor governance and failing service delivery in Emfuleni.

Speaking after casting his vote on Wednesday, Chabalala said residents deserved a municipality that worked for all communities.

Kingsol Chabalala confident DA will unseat ANC in Emfuleni

November 4 2026, 17:23

KwaLanga residents want action on toilets, housing and unemployment

Unemployment, stalled housing projects and poor basic services remain among the concerns residents hope will be addressed by those elected to power.

Young people in KwaLanga in the Western Cape have raised concerns about voter apathy among their peers, saying many are failing to recognise the power of their vote despite living with unemployment and poor service delivery.

KwaLanga residents want action on toilets, housing and unemployment

November 4 2026, 17:17

WATCH | Tensions flared between DA and ANC supporters outside Orange Grove Primary School, north of Johannesburg, where ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula voted. pic.twitter.com/BopEs3Q6Dz

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 17:17

Some elderly voters in Ekurhuleni say they were unaware of the special voting process as they join other residents to cast their ballots on Wednesday.
Video: @MimieShana pic.twitter.com/vdvm13xOMv

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 17:05

Nompumelelo Mosibudi had spent three hours waiting for her turn to vote when it was time for her to do so, she was told she has to go cast it at a polling station 15kms away. She spoke to our reporter Koena Mashale about her frustration. pic.twitter.com/iTw73vTzJv

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 17:04

No water, no vote: some Bronkhorstspruit residents skip election

A 32-year-old man from Zithobeni, in Bronkhorstspruit, chose to collect water from a borehole at Dan Kutumela Secondary School rather than cast his vote on Wednesday.

Bronkhorstspruit recently made headlines after more than 800 people fell ill following water contamination linked to the lack of chlorine at a water treatment plant.

No water, no vote: some Bronkhorstspruit residents skip election

November 4 2026, 16:57

WATCH | What voters want from their local leaders

Service delivery, reliable infrastructure and accountable local government are among the issues facing South African voters.

Sunday Times journalist Yoliswa Sobuwa joins Business Day TV to discuss voter sentiment, the issues emerging from the ground and what communities want from their municipalities.

WATCH | What voters want from their local leaders

November 4 2026, 16:55

WATCH | What coalition talks could mean for South Africa’s metros

With several of South Africa’s major municipalities facing the prospect of hung councils, the local elections could usher in another round of coalition governments.

Jonathan Moakes, director at the SABI Strategy Group, joins Business Day TV to examine the political dynamics shaping these potential alliances and the challenges parties may face in reaching agreement.

WATCH | What coalition talks could mean for South Africa’s metros

November 4 2026, 16:49

Electoral Court dismisses Bongani Cibi’s bid to contest municipal elections

The Electoral Court has dismissed Bongani Wellington Cibi’s application challenging his exclusion from the local government elections, finding that he missed mandatory deadlines and failed to identify a reviewable decision by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).

In a judgment handed down on Tuesday, judge Lebogang Modiba ruled that Cibi’s inability to contest the elections resulted from the operation of the law rather than unlawful conduct by the commission.

Electoral Court dismisses Bongani Cibi’s bid to contest municipal elections

November 4 2026, 16:48

WATCH | Emfuleni residents from Bophelong, Sebokeng, Hostel and Everton have called for better service delivery as they voted in the local government elections. They want the incoming leadership to address sewage problems, potholed roads, unemployment and growing youth… pic.twitter.com/AAlda3G4Iu

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 16:34

WATCH | Limpopo voters boycott elections

While millions of South Africans made their way to different voting stations to cast their votes on Wednesday, residents of Ga-Chokoe outside Mokopane in Limpopo boycotted the elections over a dispute concerning municipal ward demarcation.

Mahlora Primary School, which was designated as a voting station, was empty for most of the day as residents refused to cast their ballots.

WATCH | Limpopo voters boycott elections

November 4 2026, 16:30

WATCH | Young people sit outside a spaza shop in Evaton, Emfuleni, highlighting the unemployment crisis facing residents. Despite having gone to school, they say they remain without jobs and are forced to ask passers-by for as little as R2. pic.twitter.com/jsLzTVSUQz

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 16:29

Residents of Ga-Chokoe near Lephalale in Limpopo boycotted voting, apparently over a demarcation issue and complaints over candidates. They claim the candidates won't have their best interest at heart. Matlhora Primary School was empty as no one showed up to vote.
Video: Sontaga… pic.twitter.com/e1AIDW2EoY

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 16:26

‘Councillors must prioritise voters,’ says Mashatile

ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile has called on councillors who are victorious in the election to put voters first.

Speaking on the sidelines of his voting station in Kelvin, Johannesburg, he said the pleas of residents must be heard and acted upon after the election.

‘Councillors must prioritise voters,’ says Mashatile

November 4 2026, 16:25

WATCH | South Africans head to the polls

South Africans are making their voices heard in a pivotal municipal election. Business Day’s Luyolo Mkentane joins Business Day TV with the latest developments, the mood on the ground and the key stories emerging from voting stations.

WATCH | South Africans head to the polls

November 4 2026, 16:24

WATCH | What South Africa’s local elections mean for the political landscape

South Africa’s local elections could have implications well beyond municipal government, with the results set to shape the balance of power between political parties and the prospects for coalition governments.

Political analyst Sipho Seepe joins Business Day TV to unpack the political dynamics and what the results could signal for the country’s future.

WATCH | What South Africa’s local elections mean for the political landscape

November 4 2026, 16:21

WATCH | The big issues shaping South Africa’s municipal elections

From service delivery and unemployment to political accountability and local economic development, South Africans are voting against a backdrop of deep public frustration and rising expectations.

Sowetan’s deputy editor Thabiso Thakali joins Business Day TV to discuss the issues shaping the elections and what voters are demanding from their local leaders.

WATCH | The big issues shaping South Africa’s municipal elections

November 4 2026, 16:17

WATCH | What’s at stake in South Africa’s municipal elections?

South Africa’s municipal elections are a critical test for the country’s political parties.

Political analyst Daniel Silke unpacks the key issues driving the vote, the changing political landscape and what the outcome could mean for local government.

WATCH | What’s at stake in South Africa’s municipal elections?

November 4 2026, 15:55

WATCH LIVE | The Political Arena team is at the IEC results centre

Polling stations open, opinions open wider.

The Political Arena is live as SA heads to the ballot box for the 2026 Local Government Elections.

Expect real-time conversations, sharp analysis and the latest scoops from our political journalists.

November 4 2026, 15:26

Taxi drivers divided as some skip voting to make money on the road

For some taxi drivers, election day was another working day, with earning money to support their families taking priority over standing in queues to vote.

Mandla Madonsela, 41, said he had decided not to vote because he could not afford to spend time in queues when he could be making money on the road.

Taxi drivers divided as some skip voting to make money on the road

November 4 2026, 15:24

WATCH | "We have done what we were supposed to do; now we wait for the results", MK Party leader Jacob Zuma tells journalists after casting his vote. pic.twitter.com/L2LqWPYokk

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 15:14

WATCH | Eastern Cape Premier Oscar Mabuyane is urging communities to vote in large numbers. Speaking after casting his ballot at Deberha Multipurpose Centre, he emphasised that every vote has the power to shape the future of local communities. pic.twitter.com/Mwtn3d0IH5

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 14:50

Thumbs up! Langa Mavuso, Lady Du and other celebs cast their votes

From chart-topping singers to media personalities and comedians, Mzansi’s stars hit the polling stations on Wednesday to cast their votes in the 2026 local government elections.

Thumbs up! Langa Mavuso, Lady Du and other celebs cast their votes

November 4 2026, 14:48

Young and elderly voters queue at Wits amid water, electricity challenges

Young voters at a sports hall at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg on Wednesday raised concerns about the irregular supply of water and electricity.

Siam Tanda Mashekila, 25, said she was proud to see young people coming out in numbers to vote, but remained unsure whether political parties would deliver on their promises.

Young and elderly voters queue at Wits amid water, electricity challenges

November 4 2026, 14:46

Songezo Zibi frustrated by voting station distance

Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi has raised concerns about his designated voting station and that of his son being located up to 5km away, despite a voting station situated right outside his home.

Millions of South Africans are heading to the polls on Wednesday for the 2026 local government elections. Voting stations opened at 7am and are set to close at 9pm.

Songezo Zibi frustrated by voting station distance

November 4 2026, 14:40

Universal ballot templates aid braille voters in 2026 election

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has reiterated measures to ensure visually impaired voters can cast their ballots independently and privately during the 2026 local government elections.

IEC deputy chief electoral officer Masego Sheburi said the commission uses universal ballot templates (UBTs) to assist braille-literate voters in marking their ballots.

Universal ballot templates aid braille voters in 2026 election

November 4 2026, 14:26

WATCH | ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says the party will announce its mayoral candidates in two weeks after analysing the results. He added that any coalition negotiations will be led by the national officials, not regional structures. He was speaking after voting in… pic.twitter.com/NcEYPKkQyE

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 14:23

WATCH | ANC Secretary general Fikile Mbalula has cast his vote at the Orange Grove Primary School in the north of Johannesburg.

Video: Kgothatso Madisa pic.twitter.com/BazIL50aU6

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 14:14

IEC investigates theft of unused ballot papers at eThekwini voting station

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has opened a case of theft after unmarked and unused ballot papers were stolen from a voting station in KZN.

Speaking during a media briefing on Wednesday, IEC deputy chief electoral officer Masego Sheburi said the ballots were stolen from the Mnyameni Secondary School in Kwanyuswa, Botha’s Hill, outside Durban, where they were being kept for validation.

The commission said the station had sufficient materials to continue operating, apart from the voters’ roll.

IEC investigates theft of unused ballot papers at eThekwini voting station

November 4 2026, 14:13

Short queues, big demands: Kagiso voters want water, jobs and decent streets

Voters in Kagiso, ward 7, were in and out quickly today as voting started on time at the Mandisa Shiceka School of Specialisation.

For 18-year-old Keorapetse Thobani, it was his first time voting and he was nervous.

“But they helped me,” he said.

Short queues, big demands: Kagiso voters want water, jobs and decent streets

November 4 2026, 14:12

WATCH | Former President and MK Party leader Jacob Zuma casting his vote at Ntolwane Primary School in Nkandla during the 2026 local government elections. pic.twitter.com/FIj7OVhGMG

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 14:02

Thokoza voters doubt election will bring change

High crime levels, substance abuse and youth unemployment are among the many concerns weighing on Thokoza residents as they cast their votes.

Speaking to Sowetan, many said they hoped the next local government would deliver meaningful change rather than more promises.

Thokoza voters doubt election will bring change

November 4 2026, 13:54

3.5-million South Africans voted in first three hours, says IEC

More than 3.5-million South Africans had cast their ballots by 10am on Wednesday as voting got under way across the country for the 2026 local government elections.

Voting opened at 7am and is expected to close at 9pm with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) reporting that 98% of the country’s 23,996 voting stations had opened by the regulated time.

3.5-million South Africans voted in first three hours, says IEC

November 4 2026, 13:50

WATCH | Correctional services minister and FF Plus co-founder Pieter Groenewald says the party is creating new hope for the future as South Africans vote on Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/n934YgxctE

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 13:48

Older voters in Ekurhuleni urge youth to make their mark for SA’s future

Elderly voters making their way to the polls at Etshanini Public Space in ward 112, Ekurhuleni, urged the younger generation to take an active role in shaping the country’s future.

Older voters in Ekurhuleni urge youth to make their mark for SA’s future

November 4 2026, 13:36

Don’t let service delivery issues stop you from voting: Limpopo premier Ramathuba

Limpopo premier Phophi Ramathuba says the government does not have to wait for elections to be over before addressing challenges affecting communities, pointing to interventions in several municipalities across the province.

Speaking to Sowetan after casting her ballot on Wednesday morning at Mokopane Primary School in the Mogalakwena local municipality, Ramathuba acknowledged that residents continued to face challenges, including unemployment, water shortages and poor roads.

Don’t let service delivery issues stop you from voting: Limpopo premier Ramathuba

November 4 2026, 13:35

No water, no voter: taps as dry as early turnout in Orlando East, Soweto

No water. Almost no voters. A double crisis defined the early part of election day in Orlando East as residents went to the polls with dry taps and empty voting stations.

At voting stations in Orlando East on Wednesday morning, the halls were almost empty. For many, the message in the dry water pipes matched the mood at the ballot box.

No water, no voter: taps as dry as early turnout in Orlando East, Soweto

November 4 2026, 13:17

Khayelitsha voters voice dismay over crime and poor service

For a month, Pamela Bheshula, 64, says she has been without water because of a leak in her yard.

She arrived at Sivuyiseni Primary School, a voting station in Mandela Park, Khayelitsha, accompanied by two friends.

Khayelitsha voters voice dismay over crime and poor service

November 4 2026, 13:16

Election day glitches: a cop with political posters, a drunken voter and a collision with a cow

A police officer was removed from a KwaZulu-Natal voting station on Wednesday morning after she arrived in a vehicle branded with posters from a political party, according to police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda.

The sergeant was removed from her Mphithini-area voting station post, in Donnybrook, with the possibility of internal disciplinary processes being instituted following her alleged unprofessional conduct.

Election day glitches: a cop with political posters, a drunken voter and a collision with a cow

November 4 2026, 13:01

WATCH LIVE | IEC briefs media on progress of local government elections

November 4 2026, 12:52

‘Voting changes situations’: Ekurhuleni voters seek jobs and better services

Unemployment was a key concern raised by Ekurhuleni residents as they cast their votes in Wednesday’s local government elections.

At Endulwini voting station in Thembisa, residents said they hoped their votes would bring better services, more job opportunities and improvements in their communities.

‘Voting changes situations’: Ekurhuleni voters seek jobs and better services

November 4 2026, 12:51

President Cyril Ramaphosa says more money will be allocated to deal with gender-based violence. He was speaking in Hyde Park, Joburg, after casting his vote. pic.twitter.com/ELdgENEc6M

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 12:45

WATCH | Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi voted at Maokeng voting station in Tembisa, saying he still votes in the community that raised him. He is confident in the ANC’s performance in the province. pic.twitter.com/8tSPlyN0KE

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 12:38

‘My voice is finally getting heard’: First-time voters share hopes

Young voters have called for more job opportunities and safer communities, saying casting their ballots gave them a sense of hope and a chance to shape the future of their city.

A relieved 24-year-old Puseletso Mafuma said voting for the first time made her feel that her voice mattered.

‘My voice is finally getting heard’: First-time voters share hopes

November 4 2026, 12:32

WATCH | MK Party member Dali Mpofu says the aim should be to take government away from the "ANC of Ramaphosa". pic.twitter.com/7a7txm0ENV

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 12:26

Ramaphosa votes in DA stronghold of Hyde Park

President Cyril Ramaphosa voted in Hyde Park on Wednesday, casting his ballot in the Johannesburg suburb where he lives rather than in Soweto, where he grew up and usually voted.

Electoral Commission (IEC) rules require people to vote at the station where they are registered.

Ramaphosa votes in DA stronghold of Hyde Park

November 4 2026, 12:25

IN PICS | Political leaders cast their votes

Leaders from across the political spectrum joined millions of South Africans at polling stations on Wednesday as the country headed to the polls for the local government elections.

IN PICS | Political leaders cast their votes

November 4 2026, 12:23

WATCH | Ntyatyambo Zwelimangele Volsaka, deputy chairperson of the South African Students Congress (Sasco) in Johannesburg, said it was important for young people to exercise their democratic right to vote and choose leaders they believed could best represent them.

He said those… pic.twitter.com/xKzmREX7TD

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 12:11

Zille vows swift action on Joburg water crisis

Helen Zille said should she be elected mayor of Johannesburg, her immediate priority would be addressing the water challenges confronting South Africa’s economic and financial heartland.

Zille vows swift action on Joburg water crisis

November 4 2026, 12:08

WATCH | BOSA leader Mmusi Maimane speaking after voting in Dobsonville. pic.twitter.com/1LItCdtS5L

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 12:05

Buffalo City mayor joins queue after residents refuse to let her skip voting line

Buffalo City metropolitan municipality mayor Princess Faku was forced to join the queue like other voters after residents at a voting station in Gonubie refused to allow her to skip the line.

Buffalo City mayor joins queue after residents refuse to let her skip voting line

November 4 2026, 12:05

WATCH | Freedom Front plus leader Dr Corne Mulder speaking following his vote. pic.twitter.com/fr1voRn5eZ

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 12:00

Young and elderly voters are making their way to the polls at the Old Mutual Sports Hall at Wits University amid water and electricity challenges on campus. pic.twitter.com/eW7N7PmSMI

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 11:56

WATCH | ANC deputy President Paul Mashatile greets party volunteers at the gazebo outside the St Johannes Lutheran church in Kelvin and signs their register. pic.twitter.com/X0IFCrw53i

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 11:55

WATCH | Young people sit outside a spaza shop in Evaton, Emfuleni, highlighting the unemployment crisis facing residents. Despite having gone to school, they say they remain without jobs and are forced to ask passers-by for as little as R2. pic.twitter.com/cyW93mCR6X

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 11:53

ANC T-shirt, broken ID keep these Nyanga voters from casting ballots

“I would rather go home and drink because now I am being sent from pillar to post.”

These were the words of Zuko Jada, 42, who was turned away from Mvula Primary School, a voting station in Nyanga, after arriving to cast his ballot wearing an ANC T-shirt.

ANC T-shirt, broken ID keep these Nyanga voters from casting ballots

November 4 2026, 11:53

WATCH | City of Johannesburg resident Mr Masango from Emmarentia hopes his vote will bring morality but wonders what will be left for the next generation. pic.twitter.com/S4daeCNKq3

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 11:28

WATCH | Former president Kgalema Motlanthe says he understands South Africans’ frustrations with local government, adding that this is where the state ought to be most efficient. He was speaking after casting his vote at Killarney Country Club. pic.twitter.com/8BgsePXQy3

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 11:21

WATCH | ‘Fake’ ID disrupts voting at Rabie Ridge

Police had to be called at a Midrand voting station after a squabble broke out when a voter produced an alleged fake ID.

According to an eyewitness, the man walked in and produce the suspected ID. The security was called to ensure the voters are safe at Kanana Primary School in Midrand.

WATCH | ‘Fake’ ID disrupts voting at Rabie Ridge

November 4 2026, 11:21

Piet Kekana, 63, from Hammanskraal, Tshwane, says he voted for a party that will bring change and fight crime in the area.
Video: @Moloi_Herman1 pic.twitter.com/zAbDL6yxSd

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 11:14

Emfuleni residents jump over running sewage on way to polling station

Some residents of Emfuleni local municipality in the Vaal had to jump over sewage running down their streets as they made their way to polling stations on Wednesday.

The municipality has been plagued by service delivery challenges such as open sewage, pothole-riddled roads and uncollected rubbish.

Emfuleni residents jump over running sewage on way to polling station

November 4 2026, 11:11

WATCH | Former president Kgalema Motlanthe casts his ballot at Killarney Country Club pic.twitter.com/IIAhy2493n

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 11:02

WATCH | Limpopo premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba arrives at Mokopane Primary School in Mogalakwena Local Municipality, where she is expected to cast her vote. pic.twitter.com/HhQUcS9Dlc

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 206, 10:51

WATCH | DA mayoral candidate, Helen Zille, arrives at Emmarentia Primary School. She says the DA hopes for an outright majority, but if they don’t achieve it, then they’ll look at the different coalition options and take the least bad option. pic.twitter.com/CjbhrG6bmK

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 10:44

WATCH | President Cyril Ramaphosa has cast his vote in Hyde Park, Johannesburg. pic.twitter.com/j6LpHZj5cH

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 10:42

WATCH | ActionSA mayoral candidate Xolani Khumalo, who voted in Thembisa on Wednesday, urges young people in Ekurhuleni to vote. pic.twitter.com/wdjZOtvFJ2

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 10:35

Pensioners turn out in numbers at Hammanskraal voting stations

Pensioners outnumbered younger voters at several polling stations in Hammanskraal, Tshwane, on Wednesday morning.

Many elderly residents went to voting stations very early to cast their ballots in the hope the next local government administration would address the area’s longstanding service delivery challenges.

Pensioners turn out in numbers at Hammanskraal voting stations

November 4 2026, 10:32

WATCH | IEC chair Mosotho Moepya has urged South Africans to be vigilant against misinformation and disinformation on voting day. pic.twitter.com/eAniDdA3Vi

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 10:29

WATCH | DA leader and Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis cast his ballot at his alma mater, Edgemead Primary School, in Milnerton. He’s called on DA supporters in Cape Town to come out and vote in large numbers. He says a high voter turnout among blue party supporters is the only… pic.twitter.com/yjiUVuikvs

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 10:17

WATCH | Action SA leader Herman Mashaba encourages South African’s to vote in their numbers. He was speaking at the Sandton Fire Station voting station pic.twitter.com/pNFh1HPvwa

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 10:05

IN PICS | South Africans head to the polls

Voters headed to the polls on Wednesday to elect municipal councillors across the country in a major test for the governing ANC after losing its national majority in 2024.

Water shortages, electricity failures, crime, unemployment and poor municipal services are central election issues.

The election could reshape local political alliances and influence the country’s political direction ahead of the 2029 national elections.

IN PICS | South Africans head to the polls

November 4 2026, 10:04

IEC outlines election day dos and don’ts

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has reminded political parties and municipal councillors of the legal regulations surrounding campaigning as the country heads to the polls today.

Voting stations opened nationwide at 7am and are scheduled to close at 9pm.

According to the IEC, voting has commenced smoothly across the country, with all stations successfully opening and no major glitches reported.

IEC outlines election day dos and don’ts

November 4 2026, 10:00

WATCH | EFF’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng reflects on her campaign journey just moments before she voted in Parkmore, Johannesburg. She urged young voters to show up at the polls and make their mark in order to decide their own future. pic.twitter.com/5WyiIyWQtr

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 09:52

WATCH | Eighty-four-year-old Linah Kwinika from Hammanskraal, who voted for a government that will provide clean tap water. pic.twitter.com/xNKX5vSByS

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 09:50

ANC wants clear majority in Joburg, says mayoral candidate Loyiso Masuku

The ANC in Johannesburg has set terms for its coalition negotiations, saying that as much as they want an outright majority, should the council be split, they would want to work with political parties that are obsessed with service delivery.

This is according to ANC regional chair and mayoral candidate Loyiso Masuku, who said that her political party wanted Johannesburg residents to give them a clear majority.

ANC wants clear majority in Joburg, says mayoral candidate Loyiso Masuku

November 4 2026, 09:06

City of Johannesburg deputy mayor and ANC regional chair Loyiso Masuku says she’s casting her vote for the ANC in order to defend the gains of democracy. Masuku, who is also the ANC’s mayoral candidate in Johannesburg, was casting her vote in Mulbarton Primary School.… pic.twitter.com/F7QqVKNE45

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026, 09:00

WATCH | Voting is underway at Mandisa Shiceka School of Specialisation in Kagiso, Ward 7, with voters arriving in numbers. First voter Benard Kunene says he doesn’t want to complain about service delivery without playing his part. He wants the streets repaired and the electricity… pic.twitter.com/rdU657lvit

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026 8:42

JUST IN | The voting station at Kanana primary school in Midrand opened more than an hour late. Some residents said they had been queueing since 5am. Our reporter Koena Mashale has more details for you.
Download our App, follow our WhatsApp channel for the latest news. pic.twitter.com/G0zEn2qaXQ

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026 08:11

Votes in local polls expected to further weaken ANC grip

South Africans vote in municipal elections on Wednesday, with anger over corruption, crime and failing public services threatening to deal another blow to the ANC.

The party dropped below 50% support for the first time in the 2021 municipal elections, and could plunge below 40% this time, according to polls.

With no other party large enough to take its place, many cities in South Africa are heading for unsteady coalition governments that have been partly blamed for failing to deliver basic services, including water and electricity.

Votes in local polls expected to further weaken ANC grip

November 4 2026 08:04

The DA and the ANC supporters have already set up heir stations at the Mulbarton Primary School voting centre in Johannesburg South. The City of Johannesburg deputy mayor Loyiso Masuku is expected to cast her vote at this station. #Elections2026 pic.twitter.com/ranmDJRoAu

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026 08:02

Voters have already started queuing at Mulbarton Primary School in Johannesburg South. pic.twitter.com/dCaz8Cs3hS

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026 07:58

Hostel voter calls for action against gun crimes

The Saulsville hostel voting station near Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria, is a few metres away from the hostel block where there was a mass shooting in an illegal tavern late in 2025 in which 12 people were killed.

Long-time resident Pheyi Ngobese pleaded for action against crime in the area.

Hostel voter calls for action against gun crimes

November 4 2026 07:58

Cost of living is top concern for Saulsville voters

As local government elections kick off this morning, at the Motsweding combined school voting station in Saulsville, west of Pretoria, voters had begun lining up at 5am.

Madumetja Mothabele was eager to cast his vote.

“I woke up at 4am and arrived at 5am. I wanted to be here early and I became number one in line. We want service delivery and lights, and our rent is very expensive,” he said.

Cost of living is top concern for Saulsville voters

November 4 2026 07:51

Your X has a reason. Is it the pothole that rattled your car, the tap that ran dry, the uncollected waste, or the lights that went out? Let us know which municipal service guarantee or concern will carry the most weight when you cast your vote. The comment section belongs to you. pic.twitter.com/MUQEiTw7KV

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026 07:08

ELECTION DAY: Sowetan wants to hear from you!

Send us a voice note, videos and images on 071-556-4784.

ELECTION DAY | Make your vote count. You could be voting because you want to reward council officials who have done a great job in your area or maybe you want change. Sowetan would like to hear from you. Cast your vote and send Sowetan a voice note, video or images sharing your… pic.twitter.com/1JUlzuqTYf

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026 7:00

KZN parents urge voters to ‘behave’ at school stations

Vee Gani, head of the Parents Association of KwaZulu-Natal, has urged voters to “behave” peacefully at school voting stations and protect facilities children depend on.

Gani said voters should take disputes to Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) officials respectfully, warning violence could leave schools damaged and disrupt learning during matric exams.

KZN parents urge voters to ‘behave’ at school stations

November 4 2026 6:50

Today, the ballot box takes centre stage. Cast your vote, then join The Political Arena for live conversations, exclusive interviews and real-time answers on what this election means for you. Every cross counts, and we’re watching every count. Live on the Sunday Times, TimesLIVE,… pic.twitter.com/OHbHNh9Shp

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

November 4 2026 6:46

‘Your vote, your voice’: South Africans urged to turn out for local government elections

The government has encouraged South Africans to exercise their right to vote in the local government elections on November 4.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) concluded its two-day special voting process on Tuesday, with a total of 1,425,942 special votes cast across Monday and Tuesday ahead of the main election day.

‘Your vote, your voice’: South Africans urged to turn out for local government elections

November 4 2026 6:00

Low turnout, coalition chaos looms as voters lose faith

The battle for control of SA’s municipalities is expected to end in another round of coalition horse-trading, with more hung councils projected and growing numbers of disillusioned voters potentially staying away from the polls.

There is a lot at stake as millions head to cast their ballots on Wednesday, experts say.

Political analyst Tessa Dooms warned that the elections were likely to produce more coalition governments than ever before, with smaller parties and independent candidates potentially holding the balance of power in municipalities across the country.

“In 2021, we ended up with about 70 hung municipalities where coalitions needed to be formed,” she said. “In 2026, it’s estimated that we will have many more hung municipalities that will have coalitions.”

Low turnout, coalition chaos looms as voters lose faith

November 4 2026 5:30

GHALEB CACHALIA | DA’s diversity faces test beyond the candidate bus

The DA has an appealing proposition for South Africa. It is the country’s most diverse political party with a substantial black following, united not by race but by shared values. The rainbow, it seems, has acquired a corporate colour scheme.

There is, of course, nothing wrong with political diversity. Nor is there anything inherently suspicious about a party organising transport to rallies, feeding its activists or training aspiring public representatives. Politics requires organisation and sandwiches do not, in themselves, constitute a constitutional crisis.

But there is a more interesting question than how many black faces a party can assemble for a photograph. That question is: does racial diversity in the ranks translate to diversity of thought, genuine participation in decision-making and an equitable distribution of political power?

GHALEB CACHALIA | DA’s diversity faces test beyond the candidate bus

November 4 2026 5:00

Agoa fallout exposes ANC-DA foreign policy rift

The US’s decision to withdraw South Africa’s Agoa benefits has exposed divisions between the ANC and DA over the country’s foreign policy, with the governing party alleging an attempt to influence voters as the ANC faces mounting electoral pressure.

The ANC, on the one hand, has questioned the timing of Washington’s decision to withdraw South Africa’s preferential trade benefits from January 2027, suggesting it could be an attempt to intimidate voters and pressure the government to abandon its transformation agenda.

Agoa fallout exposes ANC-DA foreign policy rift

November 3 2026 21:11

Tshwane residents hope their vote will bring clean water, electricity and roads

On Tuesday, it had been two weeks since Gritah Ntuli, 62, had seen a water tanker in the Maheights informal settlement in Bronkhorstspruit, Tshwane, where she lives.

Whenever she needed water to bath or do laundry, she would take her family’s clothes to the stream and wash them there, while also collecting bath water for the whole family.

For drinking and cooking water, she has to reach into her pocket and buy it.

Tshwane residents hope their vote will bring clean water, electricity and roads

November 3 2026 20:14

Political intolerance and protests among threats facing Western Cape elections

Political intolerance, intra- and inter-party conflict, criminal activity and protests have been identified as some of the threats facing voting stations in the Western Cape ahead of Wednesday’s local government elections.

Provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Sizakhele Dyantyi said 33 of the province’s 1,633 voting stations had been classified as high-risk, while the remainder were categorised as medium- and low-risk.

Political intolerance and protests among threats facing Western Cape elections

November 3 2026 20:06

IEC warns political parties to stop campaigning at midnight ahead of polling day

Political parties, independent candidates and their supporters have until midnight on Tuesday to campaign ahead of the 2026 local government elections, with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) warning that all campaigning must stop before voters head to the polls on Wednesday.

IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya reminded political parties and candidates that the electoral timetable prohibits campaigning after midnight, including door-to-door canvassing, demonstrations and rallies.

IEC warns political parties to stop campaigning at midnight ahead of polling day

November 3 2026 20:04

IN PICS | Special voting continues for millions in local elections

More than 2.5-million voters were approved to cast special votes ahead of the local government elections, with the two-day voting process taking place on Monday and Tuesday.

The second day of special voting got off to a slow start at some voting centres in Johannesburg, where elderly voters were among those expected to cast their ballots.

IN PICS | Special voting continues for millions in local elections

November 3 2026 19:07

IEC concludes special voting as 1.4-million South Africans cast ballots ahead of election day

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has concluded its two-day special voting process with more than 1.4-million voters having cast their ballots ahead of the 2026 local government elections.

The special voting process, which took place on November 2 and 3, provided an opportunity for approved voters who would otherwise be unable to visit voting stations on election day to cast their ballots in advance.

IEC concludes special voting as 1.4-million South Africans cast ballots ahead of election day

November 3 2026 18:55

IEC assures South Africans of credible elections amid attempts to ‘impugn’ the polls

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has assured South Africans that it has done everything possible within its powers to deliver credible local government elections.

This comes as the electoral body says it has picked up attempts from some quarters to malign the integrity of the elections a day before millions of South Africans head to the polls.

November 3 2026 18:13

Five things you need to know from IEC’s election briefing

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has warned against the spread of unsubstantiated election-fraud claims, saying they are fuelling misinformation on social media.

It also reported incidents of intimidation, disruptions and attempted tampering with election materials.

Five things you need to know from IEC’s election briefing

November 3 2026, 18:07

IEC assures South Africans of credible elections amid attempts to ‘impugn’ the polls

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says it can assure South Africans that it has done everything possible within its powers to deliver credible local government elections.

This comes as the electoral body says it has picked up attempts from some quarters to malign the integrity of the elections a day before millions of South Africans head to the polls.

More than 29-million potential voters will have an opportunity to make their preferred choice among the 136,790 candidates, representing a total of 546 political parties across the country.

November 3 2026, 16:30

“Sibagadile, we are watching them closely,” says MKP’s Bongani Baloyi on IEC

Umkhonto weSizwe’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate Bongani Baloyi has issued a stern warning, saying that his party is closely guarding the local elections.

“Sibagadile (We are watching them closely). Our position is to operate from a level of distrust and that’s why we’ve deployed all sorts of mechanisms to protect interest and to protect our vote.”

Baloyi’s party was among those that questioned the integrity of the electoral commission in the previous election, where MKP claimed to have been robbed of votes and their intended two thirds majority.

‘Sibagadile, we are watching them closely,’ says MKP’s Bongani Baloyi on IEC

November 3 2026, 16:25

KZN election officer fired for using party-branded car to carry ‘sensitive’ election material

A KwaZulu-Natal presiding officer was dismissed on Tuesday for transporting sensitive election material in a party political branded vehicle.

In an update on special votes on Tuesday, Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) provincial electoral officer Ntombfuthi Masinga said the presiding officer from Hammarsdale was seen boarding an e-hailing taxi branded in party colours.

“On investigation, it was established that the e-hailing taxi did belong to the presiding officer concerned and was driven by her son,” she said.

KZN election officer fired for using party-branded car to carry ‘sensitive’ election material

November 3 2026, 16:15

IEC cannot confirm reports of dress-code restrictions at KZN voting station

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says it has no information to report on allegations of a strict dress code being enforced at the Dlamini Tribal Court voting station in eDumbe, northern KwaZulu-Natal, where women were reportedly turned away for wearing trousers.

The allegations emerged during the second day of special voting for the 2026 local government elections after reports by the SABC that women, including an SABC journalist, had been prevented from entering the voting station because they were wearing pants.

IEC cannot confirm reports of dress-code restrictions at KZN voting station

November 3 2026, 16:10

Mokonyane rejects ANC blame for Gauteng water crisis

ANC deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane has rejected attempts to blame the party for the water crisis gripping parts of Gauteng, arguing that the problem lies with an unreliable water supply system and the various entities responsible for its management.

Mokonyane said the crisis should not be placed at the ANC’s doorstep as residents head to the polls in the local government elections, insisting it was a national problem requiring interventions beyond individual municipalities.

Mokonyane rejects ANC blame for Gauteng water crisis

November 3 2026, 16:05

34 election misinformation complaints as candidates, supporters face arrests: IEC

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has warned political parties and their supporters against spreading unsubstantiated claims of election fraud, saying misleading social media posts are threatening the integrity of the local government elections.

Chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the commission’s information integrity hub had identified increasing attempts to undermine confidence in the electoral process, particularly through social media platforms.

November 3 2026 16:03

EXPLAINER | What voters can expect at polling stations

As South Africans head to the polls on Wednesday for the 2026 local government elections, voters can expect a series of steps before casting their ballots.

From presenting the correct identification document to ensuring ballot papers are valid, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has outlined a process aimed at making voting easier while safeguarding the integrity and secrecy of the ballot.

IEC assistant manager Mmakgabo Ramatlhodi said voters will first encounter a queue walker who helps manage queues and direct voters at polling stations.

EXPLAINER | What voters can expect at polling stations

November 3 2026, 16:00

WATCH | MK Party’s Bongani Baloyi casting his vote in Sandton on Tuesday. https://t.co/C0rQjkUsGV

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 3, 2026

November 3 2026 15:25

Why Rustenburg is one of the most hotly contested municipalities

Rustenburg’s economic significance makes it one of the most important municipalities to watch in Wednesday’s local government elections, but attention is focused on major metros, says political analyst Prof André Duvenhage.

Duvenhage, from North-West University, warned that sluggish economic growth, poor service delivery and deteriorating infrastructure continue to undermine municipalities such as Rustenburg in the North West.

“We have major challenges. One of the biggest is the failure to create sustained economic growth and development. Statistics show that over the past decade growth has remained below 1%,” he said.

Why Rustenburg is one of the most hotly contested municipalities

November 3 2026 14:30

WATCH | Shortly after casting her vote in Mogale City, ANC’s Nomvula Mokonyane addressed key issues, including the water crisis in Johannesburg and across the country, as well as the decision by US President Donald Trump’s administration to remove South Africa from AGOA beneficiary status.

WATCH | Shortly after casting her vote in Mogale City, ANC’s Nomvula Mokonyane addressed key issues, including the water crisis in Johannesburg and across the country, as well as the decision by US President Donald Trump’s administration to remove South Africa from AGOA beneficiary status.

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 3, 2026

November 3 2026, 13:25

Police arrest Limpopo voter for taking photo of marked ballot

A 32-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly photographing his marked ballot paper at a voting station in Limpopo, with police searching for a second suspect accused of the same offence.

Limpopo police spokesperson Brig Hlulani Mashaba said the incidents occurred at Chuchekani Primary School voting station in the Humulani settlement in Lulekani on Monday.

Mashaba said the first incident was reported at about 10am when a 32-year-old voter allegedly photographed his ballot paper after voting. The presiding officer confronted him and informed him that photographing a marked ballot paper was against electoral rules.

Police arrest Limpopo voter for taking photo of marked ballot

November 3 2026, 12:30

‘People must vote or nothing will be done’

For some elderly voters at the Joubert Park Lapeng Child and Family Resource Centre in Johannesburg, voting is more than a right; it is a tradition and an opportunity to help secure a better future for the next generation.

Speaking to TimesLIVE, Sowetan’s sister publication, John Masuku, who lives in Hillbrow, said he was voting because he wanted to see improvements in his community, particularly the condition of the roads.

He said the roads and robots where he stays don’t work, and he finds it hard to cross a busy road. “I’m voting because I need the roads to be fixed. I’m old now, and sometimes I can’t cross the road alone because they are always busy, so I ask my grandchildren to help me cross,” he said.

‘People must vote or nothing will be done’

November 3 2026 12:11

MALAIKA MAHLATSI | Years of Joburg rot is now rubbish on our pavements

On Tuesday morning, one day before millions of South Africans head to the polls to cast their votes in the 2026 local government elections, I walked through the streets of my neighbourhood in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg.

Every street was lined with overflowing bins and half-open refuse bags. Flies and insects have congregated on driveways and entrances to complexes, estates and business premises.

The stench, including from the uncollected waste of numerous restaurants located in the neighbourhood, is paralysing. One day before elections, in the middle of a debilitating heatwave, the northern suburbs of Johannesburg resemble dystopian slums.

MALAIKA MAHLATSI | Years of Joburg rot is now rubbish on our pavements

November 3, 2026, 12:O8

Two arrested in Limpopo for allegedly removing election posters, burning political party T-shirt

Limpopo police have arrested two suspects in two separate cases involving election-related offences, including the alleged unlawful removal of election posters and intimidation.

Two arrested in Limpopo for allegedly removing election posters, burning political party T-shirt

November 3, 2026, 11:40

WATCH LIVE | IEC briefs media on first day of special voting

The Electoral Commission of South Africa is briefing the media on Tuesday about day two of special voting.

WATCH LIVE | IEC briefs media on first day of special voting

November 3 2026, 11:10

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS | It is a quiet morning at Lapeng child and family resource centre, a voting station in Joubert Park, Joburg. The voting centre is relatively empty, with very little activity as the special voting process gets under way for the second day. Download our App,… pic.twitter.com/JqGEzEBo0e

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 3, 2026

November 3 2026, 10:35

WATCH | The morning has been quiet at the Joubert Park, Lapeng child and family resource centre, where elderly voters are expected to cast their special votes, with no long queues.

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November 3 2026 08:00

GCINA MTENGWANE | When democracy multiplies parties but not purpose

On Wednesday South Africans will face the most crowded local election ballots in the country’s democratic history.

About 546 political parties are contesting. That is about 60% higher than the 325 parties that took part in 2021. Nearly 137,000 candidates are competing for just over 10,500 council seats. These numbers express a constitutional right to form and join political parties.

They also reflect a citizenry that has grown restless with the established order.

GCINA MTENGWANE | When democracy multiplies parties but not purpose

November 2 2026 16:10

THE POLITICAL ARENA | Voter anger or apathy: Will South Africans turn out to demand change?

With South Africa’s November 4 local government elections just days away, voters face a critical choice: how to hold political parties accountable for failing services, and whether changing their vote can reshape the country’s metros.

In this episode of The Political Arena, Business Day political editor Hajra Omarjee is joined by Sowetan editor Sibongakonke Shoba, TimesLIVE and Sunday Times digital politics editor Lizeka Tandwa, and Sunday Times senior political reporter Kgothatso Madisa to examine voter apathy, shifting political loyalties and the battle for control of local government.

November 2 2026 15:40

IEC has over 700 cases of election-related disinformation

The spread of misinformation and disinformation has emerged as a growing concern ahead of South Africa’s local government elections, The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has received more than 700 complaints about election-related disinformation as voters prepare to go to the polls on Wednesday.

IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said some complaints involved content circulating on social media platform X, including photographs manipulated using AI. However, he said the incidents had not significantly disrupted the electoral environment.

IEC has over 700 cases of election-related disinformation

November 2 2026 15:19

Ballot boxes stolen as special voting begins in KZN

Ballot boxes and a training module were reported stolen from Amahlongwa Community Hall in Zambeni, the IEC said in its KwaZulu-Natal special voting update on Monday.

The IEC said replacement election material was delivered and the voting station was operational.

Ballot boxes stolen as special voting begins in KZN

November 2 2026 13:10

RECORDED | IEC briefs media on first day of special voting

The Electoral Commission of South Africa is briefing the media on Monday about day one of special voting.

November 1 2026, 18:02

Surprise! You’re an EFF candidate

The EFF has been dealt an embarrassing court blow after the Electoral Court found that the party nominated a man as its ward councillor candidate without his consent.

The court ruled that Sivuyile Jacquin Tshikila was not an EFF candidate in Ward 03 in the Raymond Mhlaba local municipality in the Eastern Cape. It ordered the IEC to ensure voters could not cast their ballots for him during the local government elections on Wednesday.

The judgment comes a few weeks after the ANC won a court fight for the inclusion of its 181 candidates whose names were not submitted by the party to the IEC for elections.

Surprise! You’re an EFF candidate

November 1 2026 17:50

‘The ANC is still mighty’ | Ramaphosa vows party will defy critics at polls

President Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed suggestions that the ANC is on a downward spiral, telling supporters in Mdantsane in the Eastern Cape that the party is gaining momentum ahead of Wednesday’s local government elections.

Addressing supporters at the party’s final push to win over voters at the Siyanqoba rally at the Sisa Dukashe Stadium on Sunday, Ramaphosa said the ANC would use the November 4 elections to prove its critics wrong.

“We are three days away from a very important election. Many people are saying the ANC is on its downward spiral. What I am seeing here is that the ANC is going higher and higher, and on November 4 we are going to show those that say ANC is going to lose,” he said.

‘The ANC is still mighty’ | Ramaphosa vows party will defy critics at polls

November 1 2026, 17:45

‘We will take them out’ | Ramaphosa threatens to remove underperforming councillors and mayors

President Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that ANC councillors and mayors who fail to serve communities or misuse public funds will be removed from their positions, saying the party wants ethical, capable and accountable leaders in local government.

Addressing supporters at the ANC’s final rally ahead of elections at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, Ramaphosa said the party expects its elected representatives to prioritise service delivery, responsible spending, and economic development rather than treating political office as a personal entitlement.

“We want to place emphasis on making sure that we get accountable and capable and ethical people who are going to be elected because we want municipalities that are properly run municipalities that use public money responsibly and municipalities that will also maintain infrastructure and support economic development,” he said.

‘We will take them out’ | Ramaphosa threatens to remove underperforming councillors and mayors

November 1 2026, 17:40

Zuma returns to stage, promises MK Party will ‘take back our country’

MK Party president Jacob Zuma told thousands of supporters who braved extreme heat at Princess Magogo Stadium in KwaMashu on Sunday that the MK Party will soon take over the land and lead many municipalities.

“In a few days we will be taking back our country,” Zuma said.

“In a few days we will be taking over our land. We will be in charge of many municipalities. No matter what other people can say and do, we are ready.”

Zuma, 84, was addressing the MK Party’s final Sithatha Omasipala rally ahead of Wednesday’s local government elections.

Zuma returns to stage, promises MK Party will ‘take back our country’

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Earlier this year, severe flooding across parts of Southern Africa highlighted the connections between environmental conditions, human movement and malaria risk.

In the months that followed, malaria cases increased in Mozambique, Namibia and South Africa.

In Gauteng, where malaria isn’t endemic, 414 cases and 11 deaths were reported during the first three months of 2026. Most infections occurred during travel to malaria-endemic areas, showing how changing transmission conditions can have consequences far beyond where infections occur.

Malaria is shaped not only by mosquitoes and parasites but also by environmental conditions, human behaviour, population movement, health care access and the capacity of health systems to respond.

This year’s Southern African Development Community (Sadc) commemoration of Malaria Day on November 6 is an opportunity to advance shared regional health priorities, including malaria elimination, cross-border surveillance, sustainable health financing and co-ordinated responses to emerging health threats.

Southern Africa has made considerable progress in malaria control and elimination, but sustaining these gains is increasingly challenging. Changing rainfall patterns, extreme weather, population mobility, insecticide and drug resistance and financial pressures all influence the region’s ability to prevent and control malaria.

The relationship between climate and malaria is complex. Rainfall can create mosquito breeding conditions, while flooding may destroy habitats, disrupt health services or displace communities. The consequences depend on local circumstances and interacting factors.

Across Southern Africa, people routinely travel between areas with different malaria transmission levels for employment, trade, tourism and family responsibilities. Infections acquired in malaria-endemic areas may only be recognised after travellers return to places where malaria is uncommon, and healthcare professionals may not immediately consider malaria in patients presenting with fever or other non-specific symptoms.

Informed decisions

Scientific advances in parasite biology, mosquito behaviour, transmission dynamics, drug resistance and environmental influences continue to create opportunities for malaria prevention and control.

Research into parasite biology helps identify vulnerabilities that may inform future treatments, while understanding mosquito ecology supports more effective vector control approaches.

These insights are increasingly complemented by environmental intelligence through initiatives such as the Remote Sensing for Malaria Control in Africa programme.

Integrating environmental, biological and epidemiological information could help malaria programmes anticipate changing conditions, strengthen surveillance and target interventions.

However, sophisticated information has limited value if it does not reach decision-makers or translate into interventions that can be implemented, sustained and accessed. The challenge is no longer only about generating knowledge but ensuring that knowledge informs action.

Moving beyond awareness

Malaria is preventable and treatable, yet people continue to become seriously ill or even die because they do not recognise their risk or seek medical attention in time. The 2026 increase in travel-associated malaria cases demonstrates why communication must extend beyond endemic communities.

Travellers need to understand their exposure, while healthcare professionals in non-endemic malaria settings must remain alert to malaria in patients with relevant travel histories.

While traditional awareness campaigns remain important, we must consider whether our approaches reach different audiences and respond to their beliefs, experiences and realities.

A recent collaboration with the University of Pretoria’s (UP) School of the Arts saw undergraduate music students develop malaria-inspired compositions, engaging audiences beyond conventional scientific and public health platforms.

Two collaborations with the department of consumer and food sciences (2025 and 2026) demonstrated how food can be used as a creative tool to raise awareness about malaria.

In 2015, a collaboration with the department of drama looked at creative ways to communicate health messages to young children, and during the Covid-19 pandemic fine arts provided a platform for communicating malaria awareness and environmental health messages through visual art.

Importantly, awareness must be accompanied by access to services. The regional call for “Timely Access to Malaria Services, Everyone’s Right” emphasises that people cannot act on health information if prevention, testing or treatment remain inaccessible.

Connecting knowledge with action

Translating evidence into action requires effective leadership and management. Malaria programmes face competing priorities, limited resources and changing conditions.

Success depends on interpreting evidence, co-ordinating responses, managing resources and working across disciplines and institutional and national boundaries.

Over the past five years, the Advanced Leadership Programme for the Elimination of Malaria (Alpem) — delivered through the UP ISMC, the Gordon Institute of Business Science and other partners — has supported leadership and management capacity development among malaria professionals from nine Southern African countries.

Knowing more must lead to doing better

The experiences of 2026 reinforce an important lesson: malaria elimination cannot be achieved through isolated interventions or scientific advances alone. Environmental intelligence must inform preparedness. Research must support practical interventions. Health promotion must connect with communities. Leadership must translate evidence into co-ordinated, sustained action.

For Sadc countries, this requires stronger regional collaboration, recognition of different national and community needs, and a shift towards anticipating risks rather than responding only after crises occur.

The Zero Malaria Starts with Me campaign reminds us of individual responsibility. However, achieving zero malaria also requires governments, researchers, healthcare professionals, malaria programmes and communities to work together, supported by accessible services and resilient health systems.

As we commemorate Sadc Malaria Day, we should recognise the progress made while questioning whether our approaches are adapting quickly enough to changing realities.

We have the knowledge to prevent infections, diagnose disease and save lives, alongside increasingly sophisticated tools to predict risk. Now we must ensure this knowledge reaches the right people, informs the right decisions and leads to meaningful action.

Knowing more about malaria is important, but what makes the difference is how effectively we put that knowledge to work.

• Prof De Jager and Dr Kruger work at the Institute for Sustainable Malaria Control at the University of Pretoria.

Sowetan

At the same time, the government approach to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education focuses on improving outcomes for all students, which is fine, but the truly gifted students, the geniuses, if you will, are often ignored and not treated like the precious national resource that they are.

I put forward a proposal to change this by using National Lottery Revenue to recruit 800 “STEM geniuses” per grade from grade 1 to grade 12 and allocating R100,000 to each genius per year to support them in indulging their curiosity, providing nutrition, facilities and dedicated coaching.

Essentially the proposal aims to treat cognitive talent the same way we treat sporting talent. With gifted athletes, the importance of coaching, nutrition, specialised training and access to facilities is taken as a given.

What about gifted mathletes, future physicists, engineers? Exactly the same logic applies: cognitively gifted young people have to be nurtured in the same way, and the economic return on investment is much greater for these youngsters than it is for athletes.

Cognitive testing would become most effective at the grade 6 level onwards; it is there that it becomes a reliable predictor of STEM performance in high school

According to research, each STEM job can create 4.3 other jobs in the service and support industries.

These “STEM geniuses” are responsible for a disproportionate share of GDP growth as the most innovative participants in the economy.

In addition, although the proposed R100,000 per genius per year cost of the programme is more than four times greater than the typical per-learner yearly education spend based on the basic education budget, concentrating capital on this cohort is cost-effective since it is expected that the total expenditure can be recovered through taxation within five years of these geniuses getting into employment.

And how exactly would we support these students? Firstly, to make the intervention effective, as mentioned in the opening paragraph, we would be specifically looking for geniuses in the poorest parts of the country.

We can simply use the basic education quintile system to decide which schools and therefore which areas to focus on in recruiting the geniuses. The exact mechanics of this will rely on the practicality of the area in which the school is located in being one of the spokes to a central hub, since facilities will be delivered via a hub and spoke model.

The hub is where the after-school and weekend coaching takes place, where students have access to computers and laboratories. The spoke is the township/area that the participant/genius lives in. Transport would be provided from designated pickup spots.

The goal of these incubators would be the creation of geographic hubs similar to America’s Silicon Valley

In addition to this, students would have access to daily nutrition and an R6,000 yearly book voucher that can be used to buy any book the student wishes to read; there would be no constraint here. This could be implemented via agreements with online and physical book sellers. This would allow each student to accumulate books for their own personal library.

It is difficult to identify cognitively gifted individuals through testing before about the age of 10 years. Therefore between grade 1 and grade 5, we would focus on simply protecting the most promising young people by providing a peaceful environment where they can play and explore without worry, while accumulating a library.

So at this stage selection would involve puzzles, signs of curiosity (teachers could help in assessing this), literacy and numeracy. These younger students would not be given the intensive coaching; they would simply be taken to a facility where they could play, explore and generally indulge their curiosity in peace every afternoon and on weekends.

Cognitive testing would become most effective at the grade 6 level onwards; it is there that it becomes a reliable predictor of STEM performance in high school.

We would still expect to retain at least 40% of the geniuses we recruited at grade 1 at this stage. It could be argued that the programme should start at grade 6, but the children we would lose along the way make it imperative that we include the youngest students we practically can.

Of course we need family buy-in for this programme; that is why the proposal includes R10,000 per year for the family on the condition that 95% attendance is achieved.

Those of us who grew up in a township know how much potential is wasted because this potential is not valued by anyone

When we have family buy-in alongside a broad societal effort to make this a prestige programme, it should also help to incentivise improved performances from other learners not currently part of the programme. At all levels, daily nutrition would be provided. Since this is so crucial for baseline cognitive development.

The final element of this programme would be entrepreneurship; using existing government funds allocated for entrepreneurship, basic business skills would be introduced as part of the coaching between grade 10 and grade 12.

After matric, students could then access an additional R100,000 in business funding (from existing government funds for this purpose) provided they agree to join a specified government business incubator.

The goal of these incubators would be the creation of geographic hubs similar to America’s Silicon Valley — whether these hubs are just located in Cape Town or Johannesburg, or perhaps in the existing Special Economic Zones.

The funding would be available up to five years after graduation, and as part of the overall programme, participants would have to live and work in South Africa for at least 10 years after graduation.

Those of us who grew up in a township know how much potential is wasted because this potential is not valued by anyone.

We need specific interventions to start realising at least some of this potential. If we are deliberate about this, we will see outsized gains.

• Dhlamini is a web developer and data analyst

Sowetan

Speaking at the Kgalema Motlanthe Foundation’s Drakensberg Inclusive Growth Forum on Saturday, Hodges said South Africa did not lack ambition or capital but needed stronger links between financing and viable projects.

“The question really should be, are we fit to make it relevant for today?” he said, referring to the development finance model.

Hodges said development finance institutions could help address barriers that prevent private investors from financing projects, including limited information about investment risks and small businesses that struggle to access conventional lending.

He cited the EIB’s work to improve access to financing for small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as its support for electricity grids, transport corridors, water infrastructure and undersea cables across Africa.

Hodges said the bank had worked in South Africa since 1994, completing its first transaction with the Industrial Development Corporation in 1995, followed by a transaction with the Development Bank of Southern Africa.

He also highlighted the Global Emerging Markets Risk Database, which pools lending-performance data from development finance institutions to provide a clearer picture of investment risks in emerging markets.

According to Hodges, the data showed an average default rate of about 3.5% for private-sector lending in Africa over 30 years, with recoveries of about 73%. He said better information could help investors assess risks more accurately and encourage banks, pension funds and insurers to commit capital.

Hodges also used an agricultural financing initiative in Malawi, called Kulima, to illustrate the need for an integrated approach to development finance.

He said small farmers often struggled to secure funding because their businesses were too small for commercial banks, while grants alone could not address their broader challenges. The initiative brought commercial banks and smaller farmers together, using grant funding to strengthen the network of small businesses and improve their access to markets.

Hodges said the experience showed that financing had to be accompanied by technical support and links to buyers if small businesses were to become viable.

He urged the private sector to help build similar partnerships and called on governments to provide effective regulation, procurement systems and long-term partnerships that made investment possible.

Hodges said the relationship between South Africa and Europe offered opportunities for both sides. Europe needed reliable economic partners, diversified supply chains and new markets, while South Africa needed investment, technology, infrastructure, skills and access to markets to move up the value chain.

Ultimately, he said, development finance needed to help convert these shared interests into economic growth and jobs.

Nearly three-quarters of financially pressured consumers say they are likely to seek additional income streams, including side hustles, while a quarter are likely to increase their debt to afford their current lifestyles, according to new research by market research group NielsenIQ (NIQ).

The findings point to continued financial pressure on households, with 41% of South Africans saying they are financially worse off than they were a year ago, compared with 37% in the previous year. Only 38% say they are better off.

The research comes from NIQ’s Consumer Outlook 2027 survey, which covered more than 21,000 respondents across 31 countries and was combined with the group’s measurements of actual purchasing behaviour.

Rising living costs are the biggest reason financially challenged South Africans give for their worsening circumstances. NIQ said about 79% of respondents in this group identify the cost of living as a major factor affecting their finances.

Food prices are the biggest immediate concern, with 34% of consumers worried about further increases. A further 23% are concerned about higher utility bills, while 22% point to fuel and transport costs.

Focus on essentials

The findings show how households are responding to pressure on their budgets with consumers becoming far more selective about how they spend their money. According to NIQ, more than four in 10 say they have stopped buying certain products so they can focus on essentials, reflecting the pressure many households are feeling.

To stretch their budgets further, about half of consumers are shopping more often at discount and value retailers, while nearly six in 10 are making greater use of loyalty programmes and reward points. Many are also keeping a close eye on the total cost of their shopping baskets rather than focusing only on individual item prices, the NIQ found.

Promotions are playing a bigger role in purchasing decisions. Nearly half of consumers say they are likely to buy in bulk or stock up on their favourite brands when they are on special.

At the same time, consumers’ understanding of value for money is evolving. Rather than simply looking for the lowest price, many are carefully weighing quality, affordability and long-term value when deciding what to buy.

South Africa is an extreme example of a global trend: the mainstream market hollowing out while both value and premium products gain share

Zak Haeri, NIQ South Africa MD

NIQ says the consumer market is becoming divided between shoppers looking for lower prices and those prepared to pay more for premium products, while mainstream-priced goods face pressure.

“South Africa is an extreme example of a global trend: the mainstream market hollowing out while both value and premium products gain share,” says NIQ South Africa MD Zak Haeri.

The research found that 14.9% of sales value comes from value products, while mainstream products account for 52.6% and premium products 32.6%.

More than seven in 10 consumers say they would rather save money when a product is not clearly better than a cheaper alternative, according to the NIQ. However, 64% say they prefer a clearly premium product when they decide to spend more.

Affordability remains the biggest driver of purchasing decisions, with 39% of shoppers saying it is the most important factor when deciding whether a product is worth the price. However, consumers are not focused on cost alone. More than a quarter (26%) place the greatest value on quality and performance, suggesting they are looking for products that deliver lasting value rather than simply the cheapest option.

Financial pressures are also influencing longer-term decisions.

While three-quarters of consumers are exploring ways to generate additional income, a quarter say they may take on more debt to manage rising living costs. This highlights the growing challenge many households face as they try to maintain their lifestyles while grappling with the gap between income and expenses.

According to Haeri, these realities are making consumers more deliberate and discerning in their spending, increasingly scrutinising their purchases and expecting brands and retailers to clearly demonstrate why their products deserve a place in their budgets.

“Spending by exception is becoming the new norm, as South African consumers demand stronger justification for every purchase decision,” he says. “The FMCG brands that thrive in 2027 will be those that have a nuanced understanding of where demand is emerging and which consumers are driving it.”

Business Day

Story audio is generated using AI

Political leaders cast their votes countrywide on Wednesday as the battle for control of South Africa’s 257 municipalities intensified, with service delivery failures, particularly persistent water shortages, emerging as a big election battleground.

Across the country, communities continue to grapple with water supply disruptions, ageing infrastructure and poor municipal management, placing the spotlight on local governments’ ability to deliver one of the most basic services to residents.

DA Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille was mobbed by party supporters, journalists and well-wishers, including former DA Johannesburg mayor Mpho Phalatse, when she turned up to vote at Emmarentia Primary School in Randburg.

Zille said should she be elected mayor of Johannesburg, her immediate priority would be to address the water challenges confronting South Africa’s economic and financial heartland.

She stressed that Joburg was a great city worth fighting for, adding that should she be voted in as the next mayor during the municipal elections on Wednesday, she would “mobilise resources” on an emergency basis to address the water crisis in the short term.

Other political leaders who cast their votes countrywide on Wednesday included Freedom Front Plus leader Dr Corné Mulder, who said: “I am standing here in the queue with the rest of our constituents in ward 23 in the metro of Cape Town. And as you can see, there’s a huge turnout.

“People have been voting in droves, not only here but right throughout South Africa, and that’s a very positive sign. We have said it is our time, and you can clearly see that the electorate are going to use their ballots, and they’re going to use their ballots to bring change.”

Freedom Front Plus has had an excellent campaign, he said, adding, “I’m very optimistic that the results will be the same. It is indeed our time. Let’s do this and start to make change. That’s what we’re busy with.”

ActionSA president and Johannesburg mayoral candidate Herman Mashaba said, “I’m more than confident. We worked hard these past six months. I’m the only mayor in this country who worked with 10 MMCs already earmarked so that when people of Johannesburg give us the mandate to be the government, we will hit the ground running immediately.”

Mashaba, a former Johannesburg mayor under the DA, appealed to people to vote, saying if they did not, then “all these parties that have failed you over the last 32 years are going to end up governing you for another five years, and there’s just no way that they’re gonna change their tactic and the manner in which they’re going to govern you”.

Business Day reported in May that Gauteng infrastructure development and co-operative governance & traditional affairs MEC Jacob Mamabolo had called on the province’s 11 municipalities to invest in procuring and maintaining their own water tanker fleets, after R264m was spent on water tanker services over the past three years.

Mamabolo referred to that figure as a “significant expenditure”. Business Day reported in August 2024 that Tshwane was grappling with a water tanker mafia operating in the city and had spent an estimated R98m on water tankers per year.

The water supply crisis is challenging Gauteng’s three metros due to increased demand and crumbling infrastructure and has seen a surge in the use of water tankers to supply residents.

Water provision has been a key electioneering issue for politicians. Parts of Johannesburg have experienced water outages as demand has increased amid hot weather.

In May, persistent water challenges in the Joburg metro and other municipalities spurred President Cyril Ramaphosa to establish the national water crisis committee to co-ordinate government efforts in addressing water scarcity.

Ramaphosa said at the time that the government had prioritised measures to address the water crisis affecting many municipalities countrywide.

In January, the ANC declared 2026 a year of decisive action to fix local government and transform the economy, with the government of national unity (GNU) having set aside R54bn for service delivery, especially for fixing water and electricity infrastructure across the eight metros.

The beleaguered local government sector is dogged by malfeasance and fiscal challenges in which billions have been wasted on fruitless, wasteful and unauthorised expenditure annually, affecting the delivery of basic services such as potable water, electricity, clinics and refuse collection.

Local government’s worsening state has spurred the government to focus the second phase of Operation Vulindlela on fixing councils. Vulindlela is a joint initiative of the National Treasury and the presidency created in 2020.

Deputy president Paul Mashatile said, “Don’t give up hope. Voting is what we fought for. It’s their right. When you sit at home and don’t vote, some other people will vote for you.”

Former president Kgalema Motlanthe, who voted at Killarney, said public infrastructure needed to be maintained all the time.

“Local government needs to have the correct skills, and for that they need the finances to employ engineers,” Motlanthe said.

The local government sector has a reputation for fostering a culture of cadre deployment, in which the least qualified are appointed in senior management positions, based solely on their political affiliation and not on whether they possess the requisite skills to run their portfolios.

Business Day

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TS Galaxy interim coach Esau Mtsweni has dismissed the notion that the decline in talismanic winger Seluleko Mahlambi’s form is linked to speculation about his future.

A few weeks ago, Galaxy chairman Tim Sukazi confirmed on Metro FM that he turned down a R4m offer from Kaizer Chiefs for Mahlambi. The 22-year-old winger, who was in blistering form last season, has struggled to reach his peak this season, prompting many to believe the transfer talk has affected him.

Even so, Mtsweni has insisted Mahlambi still wants to play for Galaxy and has been in a good mental space amid the transfer talk. Mahlambi scored six goals and racked up six assists in as many games across all competitions last season. He has yet to find the back of the net or assist in eight games across all tournaments this season.

“He is focused, and he wants to be here. He’s always giving his best.” — Esau Mtsweni

“As far as I know, Mahlambi is okay. He is focused, and he wants to be here. He’s always giving his best,” Mtsweni said.

He didn’t want to be drawn into talks of offers for Mahlambi, insisting that what he knew was that the player’s mind was still at Galaxy.

“I spoke to him; he said he wants to be here until whatever happens will happen,” the Rockets caretaker mentor said.

Mahlambi’s loss of form has also seen Galaxy struggle, as he’s been one of the club’s heartbeats in recent times. The Rockets have won just one of their 10 games in all competitions thus far this season, with five defeats and four draws.

This poor form has left them just two points above the relegation zone. Galaxy’s next game is against Stellenbosch in the league away on November 27.

Sowetan

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Orlando Pirates skipper Nkosinathi “Bhodlela” Sibisi has declared that the Buccaneers are aiming for a clean sweep in the remaining cups after failing to retain the MTN8 trophy last month.

Pirates are on track to defend their league title and the Carling Knockout, while they are also in the group stages of the Caf Champions League, with the Nedbank Cup the last trophy they will attempt to bag later this season.

“We can do quite a lot this season. We are gunning for everything. We fell short in the MTN8 [by losing 2-0 to Mamelodi Sundowns in the final in Durban last month], but there’s still plenty to play for,” Sibisi said.

The Sea Robbers’ immediate focus is on the Carling Knockout quarterfinal against Sekhukhune United at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday (3pm).

“There’s still the league and the Carling Knockout to defend, while we are also in the Champions League. Later on there’s the Nedbank Cup to win, so we are going for everything.”

In the Champions League, the Soweto heavyweights are in Group C, alongside Simba of Tanzania, who are coached by SA tactician Steve Barker, RS Berkane of Morocco and Cameronian side Colombe Sportive.

“In the Champions League, it’s a different ball game; it’s a level higher. It’s going to be a good test to see where we are as a team after falling short in the past two seasons,” Sibisi said.

He also lauded the hard-to-please nature of their coach Abdeslam Ouaddou, saying the newcomers at the club will eventually understand him. “We’ve gotten used to working with the coach. For some of us who’ve been with him for the past season, it’s been easier for us to understand what he wants and what he demands,” Sibisi said.

“I think everyone who’s just come in will also learn and understand him, because he doesn’t demand good but he demands excellence... whenever we win 3-0 or 4-0, he is always adamant that we should have won 8-0 or 10-0. He’s a straight talker, so for us it’s just to take it in a positive manner.”

Carling quarterfinal fixtures

• Saturday: Pirates v Sekhukhune, Orlando (3pm)
• Sunday:
• • Chiefs v Siwelele, Peter Mokaba (3pm);
  • Stellenbosch v AmaZulu, Danie Craven (6pm)

Caf Super Cup fixture

• Sunday: Sundowns v USM Alger, Loftus Versfeld (3pm)

Sowetan

Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old from Ghana, was fatally shot by unidentified assailants on October 29 in the Bronx, New York, while on his way to school, according to a statement on October 30 from Ghana’s foreign ministry.

Frimpong was living with his father after moving to the US from Ghana last year, the Associated Press has reported.

Trump’s intervention to grant the boy’s mother, Doris Adu Gyamfi, a visa followed a phone call with New York mayor Zohran Mamdani, who requested his help to allow her to attend her son’s funeral with relatives.

“I want justice for my son. That’s all,” she told foreign affairs officials who accompanied her to the airport.

Adu Gyamfi hoped that her son would study to become a doctor after moving to the US, she told them.

Ghana called for a thorough investigation and urged New York authorities to bring those responsible for the killing to justice.

New York police are investigating the killing, according to local media reports.

Reuters

The woman is expected to appear before the Lenyenye magistrate’s court on Friday.

She was arrested following an incident in which she allegedly attempted to take photographs and record a video while casting her vote. The presiding officer informed her that such conduct was prohibited by law and would not be permitted.

The suspect allegedly became aggressive and started hurling insults at the presiding officer using vulgar language. She further caused a disturbance, which disrupted the voting process and hindered the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) from carrying out its duties.

Police spokesperson Col Malesela Ledwaba said the police were called to the scene and swiftly intervened, leading to the arrest of the suspect for contravening the Electoral Act 51 of 1996, relating to wilfully hindering or obstructing the IEC in the performance of its functions or duties.

The provincial commissioner of police in Limpopo, Lt-Gen Jan Petrus Scheepers, has strongly condemned the incident and cautioned members of the public against conduct that undermines the electoral process.

“The right to vote comes with a responsibility to respect the laws governing elections and the officials entrusted with ensuring a free, fair and credible process. Any conduct intended to intimidate election officials, disrupt voting or obstruct the Electoral Commission in carrying out its mandate will not be tolerated. Police will continue to act decisively against anyone who threatens the integrity and smooth running of the electoral process,” said Scheepers.

TimesLIVE

Voters were turned away over damaged identity documents and political party clothing, while long queues, confusion over registration details and an alleged breach of ballot secrecy added to the election-day challenges.

At Kanana Primary School in Midrand, police were called after a man allegedly presented a fake identity document, triggering a confrontation that disrupted voting and forced security personnel to intervene.

The incident frustrated residents who had been waiting for hours to cast their ballots. Some said they had arrived as early as 5am, but the station opened only at 8am.

Daniel Motlhanke, who had waited for more than two hours, said residents were losing patience because of the delays and lack of communication.

“We’ve been here since 5am and they’re not taking us seriously. We arrived here with the intention to get this done and get on with our day. We have better things to do than wait in line, and we’re not being told anything,” he said.

In KwaZulu-Natal, a police sergeant was removed from election duty after allegedly arriving at a voting station in the Mphithini area of Donnybrook in a vehicle displaying posters of a political party.

Police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda said the officer had been removed as a precaution while internal disciplinary action was being considered.

Voting continued without disruption after her removal.

Acting provincial commissioner Maj-Gen Phumelele Makoba condemned the officer’s alleged conduct, warning that police would not tolerate behaviour that undermined their professionalism and impartiality.

In a separate incident at M Section in Umlazi, a man was arrested for allegedly assaulting police officers at a voting station.

The suspect was apparently drunk and attacked officers who tried to control him. He was arrested for assault, while additional charges relating to possible contraventions of the Electoral Act were being considered.

In Cape Town’s Nyanga, some voters encountered problems over their political party clothing and identity documents.

Zuko Jada, 42, was turned away from Mvula Primary School because he arrived in an ANC T-shirt. Officials told him the voting station was not a campaigning area.

“I would rather go home and drink because now I am being sent from pillar to post,” he said.

ANC members outside the station eventually helped him by giving him another shirt to wear over his party-branded clothing. He cast his vote.

Another ANC member, George Mqokolo, said two people wearing ANC T-shirts had been turned away after arguing that the party agents’ manual did not prohibit voters from wearing party clothing.

At nearby Hlengisa Primary School, 40-year-old Pumlani Dilima was unable to vote because his identity document had broken, leaving him with only the portion displaying his photograph.

He said he had lost the other piece and was turned away despite knowing his identity number.

The problems also raised concerns about the allocation of voting stations and whether voters were being discouraged by having to travel further to cast their ballots.

Rise Mzansi leader Songezo Zibi said he and his son, a first-time voter, had been assigned polling stations several kilometres from their home despite a voting station being located just outside their gate, he said on social media.

Zibi said he had voted at the nearby station since 2006 but was now required to travel 1km, while his son had to travel 5km.

He warned that the distances, coupled with long queues at redirected stations, could discourage people from voting.

In Midrand, Nompumelelo Mosibudi waited three hours before being told she had been moved from North Bag Primary School to Spark, 15km away. She was instructed to collect a sticker at her original station to skip the queue. Despite considering abandoning her vote, she changed her mind and cast her ballot, saying it was important for change.

Actor Tumisho Masha faces possible legal consequences after allegedly posting a photograph of his marked ballot paper on social media, apparently revealing that he had voted for ActionSA. Masha, who had earlier shared his experience of voting at Lyndhurst Primary School, declined to comment when contacted about the police investigation and possible criminal charges.

Arena reporters

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Indonesia’s president sacked his chief of staff on Wednesday after his arrest in a wiretapping scandal that the government said pointed to treason, as the military said thousands of troops were being mobilised in the capital to boost security.

Listyo Sigit Prabowo, who was appointed chief of staff just a few weeks ago, was among three senior police officers detained on Tuesday accused of illegally tapping the phones of President Prabowo Subianto and unnamed journalists, politicians, government officials and business people since early 2025.

The illegal wiretaps were carried out by “rogue individuals” whose actions indicated treason, presidential spokesperson Prasetyo Hadi said.

“It also tends toward acts that endanger state interests and the safety of the nation’s leadership, including the safety of the head of state,” Hadi told reporters.

Reuters could not immediately contact the three suspects or their lawyers.

The scandal comes as the president, a retired army general, faces pressure on multiple fronts, with widening public discontent about his big-spending populist policies and a slump in investor confidence over his administration’s handling of the $1.5-trillion G20 economy.

Political intrigue has been growing in Indonesia in recent weeks amid a rift between Prabowo and his two-term predecessor and former backer Widodo, who remains highly influential, despite stepping back from politics.

Listyo, the former national police chief, was known as a loyalist of Widodo.

Military mobilised to ‘safeguard and protect stability’

Troops were deployed to Jakarta to “safeguard and protect the stability of Indonesia’s security”, navy spokesperson Tunggul said late on Wednesday.

The deployment was also related to upcoming training in areas near Jakarta, Tunggul, who goes by one name, added.

Soldiers on the capital’s streets are not uncommon in Indonesia, where the military has been regularly deployed ahead of anti-government protests.

Elected president in 2024 by a big majority, former special forces commander Prabowo has seen his approval rating slide in his second year in office, with unease over food prices and his troubled free ​meals and village co-operatives programmes.

His administration has also been under intense investor scrutiny this year, with ratings outlook cuts, concerns about policy unpredictability, and record stock market routs after warnings by global index provider MSCI of an equities market downgrade.

Prabowo’s party Gerindra said it would hold talks with other political parties to discuss the wiretapping, with its secretary-general Sugiono on Wednesday calling the scandal “insubordination” within the government.

In a post on X on Wednesday, former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono appealed to Prabowo to “restore civility to our politics”.

Motive for wiretaps unclear

The government has yet to determine the motive for the wiretapping, said Yusril Ihza Mahendra, Indonesia’s senior minister for legal affairs.

Police late on Tuesday said the suspects were being investigated for unauthorised wiretaps. The targets of the wiretaps were not disclosed.

Amnesty International in Indonesia urged authorities on Wednesday to reveal who the subjects of the wiretaps were and said the public had a right to know.

“If this scandal is allowed to continue unchecked, it could pave the way for a secret police apparatus used to tame the opposition,” it said.

Sana Jaffrey, a state-building researcher at the Australian National University, said the troop deployment in Jakarta could signal concerns about tension between the military and police loyal to former chief Listyo.

“If Prabowo increasingly sees threats to his personal security, then this could strengthen the case for relying more heavily on the military,” she said, adding that the immediate concern was the risk of unintended escalation.

Reuters

A backlash against President Donald Trump’s Republican Party over rising living costs in the midterm elections could embolden countries around the world to resist his combative trade policies, which have raised prices for American consumers.

Democrats captured majorities in both the Senate and House on Tuesday, as US voters delivered a stinging rebuke for Trump’s policies, specifically tariffs and the Iran war, which they blame for persistent inflation.

That could give countries more reason to slow-walk investment pledges they made to stave off tariffs and hand economic rival China a perceived upper hand in ongoing trade talks, political analysts and economists said.

Trump’s next major international outing will be a trip to Asia later this month, where he is due to meet with Southeast Asian leaders in the Philippines and then join the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum in Shenzhen, China.

Japan and South Korea, America’s closest allies in Asia, promised $550bn and $350bn, respectively, in US investments last year under deals with Trump.

“Democrats seem to perceive that the investment commitments were forced on allies,” said Heo Yoon, economics professor at Sogang University in Seoul, adding that countries might now feel less pressure to fulfil such commitments.

But others cautioned that Trump, criticised at home, could squeeze allies harder abroad, pushing them to deliver pledged investments to show his policies are working.

“The tariff issue is not over. If Japan’s response is slow, calls for additional tariffs could resurface,” said Kazuhiro Maeshima, a professor of US politics at Sophia University in Tokyo.

South Korea has become a lightning rod for Trump’s anger at countries he believes have not lived up to investment pledges made to stave off tariffs he says are needed to rebalance US trade with allies and rivals alike. Most recently, Seoul pushed back on Trump’s assertions that it had agreed to fund Alaska LNG, a liquefied natural gas pipeline project.

While Trump can still wield executive power over tariff policy, Ban Kil-joo, international relations professor at Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said scrutiny from Congress over such projects could give Seoul “more valuable time” to review and assess them.

India tariff

For countries like India, still negotiating trade deals with the US, the midterm results could provide an incentive to adopt a wait-and-see approach, analysts said.

India’s trade minister earlier this month said the first phase of an India-US trade deal was in the final stages of drafting but reiterated that ​New Delhi would proceed only if it secures an advantage over competing exporters.

New Delhi and Washington agreed in February to a framework that reduced to 18% from 50% a punitive tariff on most Indian goods, imposed in August last year after an earlier round of talks collapsed.

After the midterms, the White House may face greater pressure to avoid a return to trade wars that could further raise costs for American consumers, said Tommy Xie, head of Asia macro research at OCBC Bank.

Others, however, warned against the possibility of Trump becoming more flexible.

“Countries such as India should remain cautious. A Democratic victory will not necessarily make Trump more accommodating towards any country,” said Rajiv Bhatia, a former Indian diplomat and distinguished fellow at Gateway House, a think tank.

Bhatia added that India should undertake greater diplomatic preparation and engage more actively with the US Congress to press its concerns on trade, tariffs and visa-related issues.

China trade truce

China, which has struck a fragile trade truce with the US that expires in January, will be thinking of ways to use Trump’s political fragility to strengthen its hand in trade talks, analysts said.

“President Xi Jinping will recognize that Trump’s authority has been greatly weakened by these results and will no doubt be thinking about ways of exploiting that,” said Saul Eslake, an economist at Corinna Economic Advisory in Australia.

But others said Trump’s travails are not necessarily good news for Beijing.

The US president has gone to great lengths to improve relations with Xi — including hosting him for a lavish state visit in September — and a Democratic-controlled Congress may constrain his ability to offer sweeteners for future deals.

“Democrats are unlikely to give Trump free rein on deals with Beijing,” said Alicia Garcia-Herrero, chief Asia-Pacific economist at Natixis, adding that they had already criticised Trump’s summits with Xi for limited substance on key issues such as AI.

A Democratic Congress is more likely to support tighter tech export controls and scrutiny of supply chains for AI and semiconductors, which will give Trump less flexibility on concessions impacting those high-growth segments, she said.

China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning, told reporters that the midterms were an internal matter for the US and that Beijing would continue to manage differences and expand cooperation with Washington.

Reuters

Iran and Israel

It is not immediately clear how US President Donald Trump’s loss of control over Congress will shape the course of his country’s eight-month-old conflict with Iran. Voters have shown they are weary of the conflict, which many blame for painfully higher fuel prices. Some Gulf governments now believe Trump has more reason than ever to seek a peace deal and that another full-scale assault on Iran is less likely after the midterms, two sources familiar with Gulf government thinking said.

But Trump’s electoral drubbing may also embolden Iran.

“If Tehran recognises that Trump needs a deal, but not just any deal, a genuine opportunity could emerge to end the war,” said Ebtesam al-Ketbi of the Emirates Policy Center. However, reading the vote as weakness could instead invite “a new military escalation”, she added.

For Israel, a Democrat-controlled House and Senate may intensify congressional scrutiny of Israel’s military operations in Iran as well as in Gaza and Lebanon, while threatening long-standing US support for Israel through military aid and weapons sales.

Rivals seeking to unseat Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seized on the Democrats’ wins to lambaste him for a loss of bipartisan US support under his watch, as they seek to forge a coalition following an inconclusive Israeli election last week.

Fuel pump prices

The Iran war has choked supplies of crude oil and liquefied natural gas from the Gulf, driving up the cost of crude oil and prices at fuel pumps around the world.

The energy market wagered on Wednesday that the elections could breathe more life into US-Iran peace talks. Oil dropped for a third day, but tight stock levels prevented a larger selloff, analysts said.

“The market increasingly appears to be betting that President Trump wants to put the Middle East war behind him,” said Saxo Bank analyst Ole Hansen.

Ukraine

Trump has largely halted direct US financial and military aid to Ukraine as it fights a Russian invasion, despite broad support from Democratic and Republican legislators. He has angered members of Congress, including many Republicans, by lifting sanctions on Russian diesel and waiving sanctions on Russian energy only weeks after signing them into law.

Control of both chambers of Congress will allow Democrats to propose new aid to Ukraine. If they get enough backing from Republicans and secure a two-thirds majority, a new aid package would survive a Trump veto. However, any boost to US aid is unlikely to come quickly, and it will not address Ukraine’s most pressing need — a deficit of US-made Patriot air defence interceptors to protect its energy infrastructure and cities this winter.

Democrats could also target other Trump policies.

Democratic Representative Gregory Meeks of New York, a candidate to head the House foreign affairs committee, has introduced bipartisan legislation to block Trump’s plan to bring Russian diesel back into the global market. But the midterms are unlikely to change the Trump administration’s position in trilateral peace talks with Russia, where it has pressured Ukraine to make concessions to reach a deal while it simultaneously discusses business deals with Moscow that would favour US investors.

The Kremlin said it hoped the midterm results would not impact what it called Trump’s “peacemaking efforts”.

Trade

The elections could give some countries in Asia more reason to slow-walk investment pledges they made to stave off tariffs, and hand economic rival China a perceived upper hand in ongoing trade talks, analysts said.

However, broad US-China economic relations will probably maintain a state of “fragile stability”, said Chim Lee, industrial policy analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit in Beijing.

Trump’s midterm losses could spell relief for India’s negotiations for a trade deal with the US, which has faced delays as New Delhi strives to protect its farmers.

“After the US midterm losses, President Donald Trump’s capacity to impose arbitrary tariffs will certainly face a challenge. At some point he needs the Congress’s approval for trade actions and, to that extent, he’s weakened,” said Anup Wadhawan, a former trade secretary to India’s federal government.

Congress has the right to regulate commerce and set import duties, but Trump has taken advantage of laws to impose tariffs on grounds of national security or unfair trade practices. Democratic Party efforts to limit that power would be likely to face a presidential veto.

Another question is whether Trump will follow through on more immediate threats, such as a 100% tariff on European countries that impose a digital services tax on American tech giants, or whether a €3bn loan to Airbus from the European Investment Bank will undermine what has been largely a transatlantic trade truce since 2025.

AI and tech

Exit polling revealed that many US voters were concerned about the aggressive buildout of AI data centres. That sent shivers through the shares of major Asian chip manufacturers.

“A Democratic sweep of Congress would put pressure on tech and potentially bring regulatory pressure on everything AI and possibly slow down the wild, wild west growth figures that we see daily and often take for granted,” said Jake Dollarhide, CEO of Longbow Asset Management in Oklahoma.

Asian chip and AI stocks such as TSMC, Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Kioxia all fell on Wednesday.

Asian investors’ concerns were also reflected in pre-market trade in US markets where shares in US data centre operators fell, including Applied, TeraWulf, Core Scientific and Iren.

Reuters

Economic emergencies seldom announce themselves with a single dramatic event. More often, they build quietly, from a water outage that closes a factory for a shift to a delayed planning approval that sends investment elsewhere. Taken separately, these failures look local and inconvenient. Taken together, they amount to a national economic threat.

This is not an argument that every municipality is dysfunctional, nor that local government alone is responsible for the country’s weak performance. It is an argument about foundations.

No serious economy can thrive when clean water is uncertain, roads deteriorate faster than they are repaired, refuse collection becomes irregular and development approvals disappear into administrative limbo.

The warning lights are already flashing

The auditor-general’s 2024/25 local-government report leaves little room for complacency. Only 39 municipalities, about 15% of the total, achieved clean audits. Collectively, they managed R52.6bn, barely 8% of the local government expenditure budget.

Thirty-eight municipalities regressed from their 2020/21 audit position, and none of the eight metropolitan municipalities secured a clean audit.

The metros deserve particular attention because they sit at the centre of the productive economy. In 2024/25, they accounted for R335.9bn, or 54%, of the estimated local government expenditure budget, and their performance affected about 8.9-million households.

When financial controls deteriorate in these cities, the damage does not remain inside council offices. It reaches factory floors, shopping centres, construction sites and household budgets.

The financial numbers are equally stark. By December 31 2025, municipalities were owed R467.2bn by consumers, up by 15.4% from a year earlier. Of that debt, 87.1% had been outstanding for longer than 90 days, while municipalities collected only 69% of billed revenue.

Fifty municipalities reported negative cash balances. This is not a temporary mismatch. It is evidence of a business model under severe strain.

Municipal failure carries an economic price

When a municipality fails, the cost does not remain on its balance sheet. It is transferred to everyone else. A business buys tanks, generators, security and private maintenance merely to keep operating. A household pays municipal charges and then pays again for alternatives.

Workers lose time and income when transport routes become unreliable. Developers delay or abandon projects because approvals are slow and infrastructure capacity is uncertain.

These are not isolated frustrations. They are a hidden tax on productive activity. Small firms suffer most because they have the least capacity to absorb disruption. In that way, municipal dysfunction quietly protects established players, discourages new entrants and weakens competition.

The damage compounds. Poor services shrink the local revenue base as businesses relocate, investment stalls and residents lose confidence. Lower revenue then makes it harder to maintain infrastructure, which produces still worse services. Once this cycle takes hold, recovery becomes more expensive and politically difficult.

This is a governance crisis, not a technical mystery

The solutions are not mysterious. Municipalities need skilled managers, credible budgets, functioning billing systems, disciplined procurement, preventative maintenance and consequences for misconduct or persistent underperformance.

Yet these ordinary disciplines are too often displaced by short-term politics, unstable leadership and appointments that reward loyalty over competence.

We should resist two comforting excuses. The first is that more money will solve everything. Some municipalities unquestionably need greater support and a fairer allocation of resources. But additional funding without stronger controls can simply enlarge the pool available for waste.

The second excuse is that failure is inevitable because local government is too complex. Complexity is real, but it does not absolve leaders from maintaining assets, collecting lawful revenue or publishing honest accounts.

The public debate also tends to focus on spectacular scandals while neglecting routine administration. Corruption deserves relentless scrutiny, but a municipality can collapse through mundane neglect too: vacancies left open, invoices left unpaid, meters left broken, maintenance postponed and contracts poorly managed. Competence is not glamorous. It is, however, the difference between a city that attracts investment and one that steadily drives it away.

What must change

First, professional administration must be protected from political interference. Senior municipal appointments should meet transparent competency standards, and performance agreements should be public, measurable and enforced. Second, infrastructure maintenance must become non-negotiable.

Cutting maintenance may make a budget look better today, but it creates a larger bill tomorrow. Third, financial accountability must happen in real time, not years after the damage. Fourth, national and provincial intervention must become faster, more targeted and more credible. Support should arrive before collapse, with clear milestones and deadlines.

Where a municipality repeatedly fails to meet basic obligations, intervention should protect services and rebuild capability — not merely rearrange political leadership. Finally, reform must recognise that municipalities differ.

A rural municipality with a scattered population faces different pressures from a metropolitan authority managing dense economic activity. The standard must remain reliable service and sound administration, but the path to achieving it should reflect local conditions.

The emergency is already taking shape

Municipal failure can feel distant until the tap runs dry, the sewage reaches a river, a business closes or a development is cancelled. By then, the warning signs have usually been visible for years. Waiting for complete collapse is not prudence; it is a choice to pay more later.

Local government is where the state becomes tangible. It is the road outside the factory, the water flowing into a home, the permit that allows a building to rise and the streetlight that makes a journey safer. When these systems work, they are easy to overlook. When they fail, almost every economic ambition becomes harder to achieve.

South Africa urgently needs faster growth, more investment and many more jobs. None of those goals can rest on broken municipal foundations. Restoring local government is therefore not a secondary administrative exercise. It is economic policy in its most practical form, and it must be treated with the urgency of an emergency before the emergency becomes impossible to ignore.

• Naape is an economist, author, and public commentator.

Sowetan

I am writing this open letter to raise serious concerns about repeated failures in race organisation. These failures disadvantage elite athletes, particularly those who compete without financial and material support.

For many elite runners without club sponsorship, winning races is not simply about prestige or recognition; it is a means of earning a livelihood and supporting their families. These athletes often depend on the goodwill of dedicated coaches who voluntarily provide training programmes through online platforms, which require data and airtime to maintain communication. Their managers, too, are often volunteers who believe in their athletes’ talent and sacrifice their own limited resources to support them, particularly during financially difficult periods.

It is therefore deeply concerning when poor race organisation deprives these athletes of the opportunity to earn what they have worked so hard to achieve.

I wish to bring three incidents involving athletes under my management to your attention.

In the Waterfall Half Marathon 2026, my athlete competed in the 21km race for the top prize. However, the 10 km and 21 km elite runners started together, and the athlete used the 10km runners to pace himself. Unfortunately, he missed the turn separating the routes for the two races and finished among the 10km runners. He received no official result for the race he had entered.

In the Balwin Jeppe Race Series, my athlete entered the 10km race but missed the turn-off separating the 10km and 21km routes. He continued along the 21km course and finished among the top 10 runners in that distance, yet he was recorded with no result.

The same problem occurred in Region 5 Marathon. These incidents raise several important questions that deserve answers:

• Why are 10km and 21km elite fields started together without adequate measures to ensure that athletes follow the correct routes?
• Why is route signage insufficient?
• What role do lead vehicles, motorcycles, and race marshals play in ensuring elite athletes stay on the correct course?
• Why are there no dedicated marshals at critical turn-offs? - Joe Manciya, athlete manager

More than 40% of South Africa’s registered voters had cast ballots by 5pm in the municipal elections on Wednesday, with three hours of voting remaining, as the contest threatens to weaken the ANC further and reshape coalitions governing the country’s biggest cities.

About 12-million people had voted by that point, up from 3.5-million at 10am, according to preliminary figures from the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).

Gauteng recorded the highest number of votes at about 3-million, followed by KwaZulu-Natal at 2.5-million and the Western Cape at 1.5-million.

Click here to read the full article.

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Ramaphosa says US midterms spark hope for a reset in world relations

President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Wednesday the results of the midterm elections in the US would usher in a new era in world relations after millions of voters delivered a scathing rebuke to President Donald Trump.

Relations between South Africa and the US are at a low point.

This week Trump’s administration moved to end South Africa’s duty-free access to the US market after last year cutting financial aid and expelling its ambassador to Washington.

Click here to read the full article.

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Young and old come out for change

From first-time voters hoping to secure jobs and safer communities to pensioners determined to see long-promised basic services delivered, young and old voters went to the polls on Wednesday with one common demand: change.

In Hammanskraal, Midrand, Johannesburg and the Vaal, voters said their ballots represented an opportunity to influence the future of communities struggling with unemployment, crime, poor roads, water shortages and failing municipal services.

For 24-year-old Puseletso Mafuma, voting for the first time in Temba, Hammanskraal, was an emotional milestone that made her feel her voice finally mattered. “I feel relieved that finally I get to choose which party rules. It feels like I have a say. It feels like my voice is finally being heard,” she said.

Click here to read the full article.

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• Click here to join Sowetan’s WhatsApp channel and get the latest news delivered to you on the move

Sowetan

Mahlora Primary School, which was designated as a voting station, was empty for most of the day as residents refused to cast their ballots.

Only the police and IEC officials could be seen inside the school. There weren’t even party agents outside. The roads were also empty as residents decided to stay home. This was after there was a community meeting where it was decided that no-one would vote.

The affected communities include Nkidikitlana, Ga Musi, Monare and Ga-Chokoe Sterkwater. Residents claim they were not consulted or properly informed by the municipal demarcation board about the decision to move them from ward 3 to ward 6.

Residents of Ga-Chokoe near Lephalale in Limpopo boycotted voting, apparently over a demarcation issue and complaints over candidates. They claim the candidates won't have their best interest at heart. Matlhora Primary School was empty as no one showed up to vote.
Video: Sontaga… pic.twitter.com/e1AIDW2EoY

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

One resident, who asked not to be named, blamed the demarcation board and the municipal council for the situation.

“Our problem is the demarcation board and the municipal council because they did not consult us when they made their decision. Another problem is that the ward they are taking us to will not be able to address our issues, as they will not have our best interests at heart. We also don’t know that ward councillor.

“We are not stopping anyone from voting though,” he said.

Beyond their concerns about ward demarcation, the residents raised several longstanding service delivery challenges, saying their community continues to struggle with basic services.

Some of the issues plaguing the rural community include the lack of Apollo lights (high-mast streetlights), leaving the area in darkness at night.

Water supply is another major concern. They said the water situation had become so dire that they sometimes had to share water with livestock, including cows and donkeys.

They said road infrastructure was a major challenge as it affected access to public transport, further isolating the community.

Other residents said they had been waiting for proper housing for more than 30 years.

“We have problems with water because sometimes we don’t get it for days, so have to go to rivers and get our water there,” resident Joyce Sekalo said.

Sowetan spent some time at the voting station but only one person, Nare Chokoe, arrived, around 1pm. She said she wanted to exercise her democratic right despite the community’s concerns.

“I do understand the concerns of the community but I am a resident of South Africa before I am a resident of this village, and that is why I am voting. Even if they don’t vote, their problems will still persist, so I’m voting,” said Chokoe.

In Tsakane, Gauteng, 41-year-old taxi driver Mandla Madonsela also did not vote, saying he could not afford to spend time in queues when he could be making money on the road.

“It’s obvious the ANC will win, so what’s the point? I need to make money for my children and feed my family. I don’t have time to vote for people who don’t care about us,” he said.

In Bronkhorstspruit, Tshwane, a 32-year-old man from Zithobeni chose to collect water from a borehole rather than vote.

Bronkhorstspruit recently made headlines after more than 800 people fell ill after drinking contaminated water linked to the lack of chlorine at a water-treatment plant.

The man, who asked to remain anonymous, said: “Why would I vote when I haven’t had water for three weeks?”

Xolani from Katlehong (who did not give his surname) said he decided a long time ago that he would not vote because he saw no change after voting twice before.

“I won’t be voting for a third time because I have not seen any changes. I guess my vote will automatically go to ANC as I have previously voted for them. They are all the same, there is no better option. It makes no difference whether I vote or not.”

Another young person from Katlehong, who did not want to be identified, said he would rather brave the sun selling ice lollies than vote.

“We are unemployed not because we are uneducated. We have qualifications but no-one is giving us opportunities. I have matric and other skills.

“If I vote will I be employed? I’d rather brave the sun to drop off CVs or buy ice lollies to sell on the streets.”

Additional reporting by TimesLIVE, Herman Moloi and Michelle Banda

Sowetan

Electoral Commission (IEC) rules require people to vote at the station where they are registered. In local elections, that means the ward in which they live. Ramaphosa lives in ward 90, which includes Hyde Park, Parkmore, Illovo, Sandhurst and several other suburbs. Former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe also live in the area.

The ward is not friendly ground for the governing ANC. The DA won a recent special election there with 97% of the vote, up from 64% the last time the seat was contested. The president therefore voted in a ward where his party has little support.

President Ramaphosa has voted Hyde Park this morning where he resides https://t.co/64EBKSB4kZ

— Thando Maeko (@HelloThando) November 4, 2026

“The change in the IEC rules where they said you must vote where you live… so I did abide by those rules… There is always a tussle on where I should vote, either in Hyde Park or in Soweto, where I grew up and buried my parents,” he said shortly after voting.

A few kilometres away at Emmarentia Primary School, Helen Zille, the DA’s Joburg mayoral candidate, cast her vote. Zille, a former mayor of Cape Town, was mobbed by journalists and well-wishers, including former DA Joburg mayor Mpho Phalatse.

“I have run a city before; I know this,” Zille said when asked about her experience in local government. She was optimistic the DA could “push over 50%” support in Johannesburg.

“We hope to get the basic services working. We don’t promise miracles above that because the job of local government is to get basic services working, and not to make everybody millionaires. Our job is to deliver water, electricity, roads, all those things. That is our job and we will do the job,” Zille said.

ANC deputy-president Paul Mashatile voted in Kelvin, in the north of Joburg, and said he was confident the ANC would garner enough support in Johannesburg to lead the city again, despite the high level of contestation.

“It has been a difficult campaign and in Johannesburg there are more parties campaigning — plus-minus 80 parties. It is a big challenge but we have put up a good fight. We have been to all corners of this region with our teams, and people came out. We did door-to-door, and we are confident the ANC will get good support.”

He called on councillors who are victorious in the election to put voters first, saying the pleas of residents must be heard and acted upon.

“What is important from now on is for councillors who are going to come in to address the challenges our people are facing,” he said. “When candidates were campaigning, we heard what people were raising.”

In Limpopo, premier Phophi Ramathuba cast her ballot at Mokopane Primary School in the Mogalakwena local municipality.

Limpopo is one of the provinces that have with battled with myriad service delivery challenges for years as well as municipalities that depend heavily on consultants to balance their books.

Speaking to Sowetan after voting, Ramathuba acknowledged that residents continued to face challenges, including unemployment, water shortages and poor roads.

However, she urged them not to allow these difficulties to discourage them from voting.

Limpopo premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba arrives at Mokopane Primary School in the Mogalakwena Local Municipality where she will cast her vote.
Video: Sontaga Letshelele pic.twitter.com/ossHLlqW6k

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

She highlighted the provincial government’s interventions in municipalities struggling with service challenges.

“We don’t need to wait to be elected to intervene. Just go and check our track record. You will see the interventions we have made since the ANC provincial conference,” she said.

Ramathuba cited interventions in the Waterberg district, Lephalale, Vhembe, Greater Giyani, Tzaneen and Polokwane, particularly around water provision, sanitation and roads.

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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Wednesday that the results from midterm elections in the US would usher in a new era in world relations after millions of voters delivered a scathing rebuke to President Donald Trump.

Relations between South Africa and the US are at a low point.

This week Trump’s administration moved to end South Africa’s duty-free access to the US market after last year cutting financial aid and expelling its previous ambassador to Washington.

Trump has targeted the country largely due to what he said is its persecution of white people, which South Africa says is a false narrative spread by fringe groups.

“We have seen that the Democrats have taken control of the Senate and of the House, and the people of America have spoken. I do think that this is going to introduce a new era in world relations,” Ramaphosa told reporters after casting his vote in South Africa’s municipal elections.

Ramaphosa said Monday’s announcement that South Africa would be suspended from Washington’s African Growth and Opportunity Act trade initiative from January “is indeed a negative for us” and that the focus should be on negotiating a bilateral trade agreement with the US.

“While we are sad that we’ve been removed from Agoa, our trade relations with the US continue,” he said.

Ramaphosa said South Africa had been working to secure new export markets and “diversification has now become the order of the day”.

Reuters

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More than 40% of South Africa’s registered voters had cast ballots by 5pm in municipal elections on Wednesday, with three hours of voting remaining, as the contest threatens to weaken the ANC further and reshape coalitions governing the country’s biggest cities.

About 12 million people had voted by that point, up from 3.5 million at 10am, according to preliminary figures from the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC).

Gauteng recorded the highest number of votes at about 3million, followed by KwaZulu-Natal at 2.5 million and the Western Cape at 1.5 million.

The commission has up to seven days to declare the final results.

The elections will determine the composition of 257 municipal councils responsible for providing essential services, including water, electricity and roads. The outcome will be consequential for residents of towns and cities that have endured deteriorating infrastructure and persistent failures in basic service delivery.

The outcome will determine whether fragile coalition arrangements in major municipalities, including Johannesburg, survive or give way to new governing partnerships. With no party expected to secure outright control of several major councils, negotiations could prove as consequential as the vote itself.

Sowetan’s sister publication, Business Day, understands that most political parties, including the ANC, DA, Freedom Front Plus and ActionSA, had estimated higher voter turnout in suburbs than townships.

The results could also influence coalition arrangements at the national level, as parties assess their relative strength ahead of future negotiations.

Opinion polls indicate that president Cyril Ramaphosa’s ANC will lose ground to the DA, its main rival, and former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto weSizwe Party. The ANC faces particular pressure in KwaZulu-Natal, where the MK Party has emerged as a formidable challenger.

Lastly, the commission also outlined the processes that will follow from the counting of ballots at voting stations to the verification and eventual announcement of the final results.

IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said: “The process is as follows: All ballot papers are counted at the voting station where they are cast, in the presence of party agents, independent candidate agents and accredited observers.”

He explained that sealed ballot boxes would be opened and the ballot papers checked for the IEC’s security stamp before being sorted and counted by electoral contest.

These include the proportional representation (PR) ballot, the ward candidate ballot and, where applicable, the district council PR ballot.

Following the count, the results for each contest will be reconciled against the number of ballot papers received, issued, unused, spoilt and counted at each voting station.

Mamabolo said results slips would then be completed in duplicate, signed by the presiding officer and countersigned by political party agents.

The signed slips would be displayed at the voting station once the counting and tallying process had been completed.

“Results slips are captured in duplicate, signed by the presiding officer, and countersigned by party agents before being displayed at the voting station as soon as counting and tallying of results is completed,” he said.

Party agents would also be allowed to photograph the signed results slips. The results would subsequently be scanned and captured at the local IEC office for verification and independent external auditing.

The commission said its Results Operations Centres would provide political parties, independent candidates, observers and the media with an opportunity to monitor the capturing, verification and processing of election results.

Mamabolo said this was intended to strengthen transparency and safeguard the integrity of the electoral process.

“Once counting, capturing and verification have been completed and outstanding queries resolved, the Electoral Commission will declare the final results and announce the allocation of seats in municipal councils within the prescribed seven-day period,” he said.

The IEC thanked political parties and independent candidates for their participation and engagement throughout the electoral process. — Business Day

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Who is Malaika Gray, the emerging singer who is often compared to superstars Tems and Ayra Starr?

Born in Australia and raised in SA with Tanzanian roots, the 20-year-old singer is carving out her own identity. She speaks to Sowetan about her diverse upbringing and stepping into the spotlight with her debut single, My Fever, featuring Tanzanian bongo flava star Marioo.

“I am not trying to be a Tanzanian Rihanna or a South African anything. I want to be Malaika.” —Malaika Gray

Sowetan: What kind of upbringing did you have?

Malaika Gray: I was born in Brisbane, Australia. My mother is Tanzanian, my father is a New Zealander, and I arrived in the middle of all of that in 2006. We moved to SA in 2012, so I grew up in Johannesburg. I was mostly a loud girl. I started singing when I was six, and I never stopped. If there was a stage anywhere, whether at school, a competition or somebody’s living room, I found my way onto it.

Sowetan: You are studying at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. Why pursue formal music education?

Gray: I did not want to only know how to sing. I take vocal performance, but I also take music business, and I chose the second deliberately. I would rather understand what happens to a song after I have written it than be told. Who owns it? How does it earn? What does a contract say when you read past the first page? That is not a glamorous thing to care about at 20. But look at how many African artists have learnt it the hard way, and usually [when it is] too late to fix.

Sowetan: What has been the biggest adjustment in Boston?

Gray: The cold. Nobody prepares you for a Boston winter, and nobody can. But the real adjustment was being no one in particular for the first time. At home, you are placed. People know your school, family and where you fit. In Boston, I was another first-year who said she could sing, exactly like every other first-year who said she could sing. What I learnt is that I am more stubborn than I thought. And that homesickness does not go away.

Sowetan: What is it like to introduce yourself to the world with My Fever?

Gray: Was I nervous? Terrified. Still am, a little. The thing nobody tells you is that the nerves are not about whether people will like it. They are about the fact that this is the first thing anyone will ever know about you. For the rest of my career, this is the song people heard first. That does not get a second attempt. But at some point, you have to stop protecting it. A song that stays on your laptop is very safe and completely useless.

Sowetan: Who are the artists that have influenced you?

Gray: Michael Jackson, Rihanna and Beyoncé. I watched them the way a lot of children do, except at some point it stopped being “I love this” and became “wait, I could do that”. At home it was bongo flava, always. That is the sound I know in my body rather than in my head. But I will say this carefully, because it matters. I do not want to be the next anybody. I am not trying to be a Tanzanian Rihanna or a South African anything. I want to be Malaika.

Sowetan: What do you want people to understand about you beyond your background?

Gray: That I am not a story about two countries. I am a person who works. What shaped me most isn’t geography; it is watching my mother. She worked every single day, and she did it well, and she provided. Nobody ever sat me down and explained work ethic. I watched it happen in front of me for years until it was simply how I understood the world to operate. If you want something, you work for it. There is no other route, and there is no shortcut. That is why I financed this record myself and why I read the contract myself. Why I own my masters. Beyond the biography, I would want people to understand that I am at the beginning. I have made one song. Ask me again in five years.

Sowetan

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Yesterday, millions of South Africans descended on polling stations to vote for change in the local government elections, much as they did in the first democratic elections in 1994.

Although much of the public debate in the coming days will focus on voter turnout and the outcome, the significance of the voters who showed up at voting stations should not be minimised. Like those who turned up in 1994 to usher in the first democratic government, this year’s local government election is about more than platitudes and numbers.

Given the growing dissatisfaction with the state of municipalities and the delivery of basic services such as water, electricity and sanitation, yesterday’s voting was also about the maturity of our democracy. Voter registration has trended upward, even when turnout in some elections has been inconsistent.

According to the Electoral Commission of SA, more than 29 million voters were registered for this election, a significant increase from the previous elections. Although the IEC will later confirm turnout, every vote counts, and the millions of South Africans who queued at polling stations to cast their ballots for a better future did their country proud.

Many of those we spoke to expressed hope that their votes would bring about the change they desire. They understood that staying home and boycotting the elections because of disillusionment with political parties and the many problems we face, such as corruption, was not an option.

Equally encouraging was seeing the enthusiasm of first-time voters who wanted to make their voices heard in decisions about their country’s future.

While voting started late in some places, many voters refused to give up and waited in long queues for hours to make their mark on the ballots. This resilience and perseverance are qualities this country needs from its people to reset its path for the future.

IEC officials worked tirelessly to resolve issues that frustrated some South Africans and steered the voting process in the right direction. The commission’s transparent processes and its willingness to resolve problems are the reason why its integrity remains intact in the eyes of many despite some attempts by others to impugn its reputation.

Of course, this is not to say the voting process went off without glitches or the few rather unfortunate incidents we reported. However, the overall sentiment in this election was one of optimism, which we share about the future of our municipalities.

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From first-time voters hoping to secure jobs and safer communities, to pensioners determined to see long-promised basic services delivered, young and old voters went to the polls on Wednesday with one common demand: change.

In Hammanskraal, Midrand, Johannesburg and the Vaal, voters said their ballots represented an opportunity to influence the future of communities struggling with unemployment, crime, poor roads, water shortages and failing municipal services.

For 24-year-old Puseletso Mafuma, voting for the first time in Temba, Hammanskraal, was an emotional milestone that made her feel her voice finally mattered. “I feel relieved that finally, I get to choose which party rules. It feels like I have a say, you know. It feels like my voice is finally getting heard,” she said.

Mafuma said she hoped the party she voted for would prioritise unemployment, particularly among graduates struggling to secure their first jobs because employers demand experience.

“The party should deal with unemployment and provide more entry-level jobs because there are a lot of graduates who cannot find employment because companies are looking for people with experience,” she said.

Another first-time voter, 20-year-old Omphile Ndlovu, said she wanted her vote to contribute to a government that would reduce crime and create employment opportunities.

In Midrand, 30-year-old Myron Matlou joined a long queue at Dr Mathole Motshekga Primary School to cast his first ballot.

He said unemployment, corruption and poor service delivery had pushed him to participate in the elections. “A lot of people here in the township have not been working and there are no opportunities for us. It also doesn’t help that a lot of them are fighting from turning to drugs,” he said.

Matlou said rubbish collection had become a major problem, with residents sometimes waiting weeks for refuse to be collected.

He said he was tired of people voting for the same leaders without seeing improvements in their communities. “I’m just tired honestly because people have been going to vote over the years and it’s like they’re all voting for the same people who are giving us problems and so I’ve decided to come out,” he said.

While younger voters were looking to shape the future, pensioners in Hammanskraal were also out in numbers, hoping their votes would finally bring improvements.

At three voting stations visited by Sowetan, elderly residents appeared to make up the bulk of those queuing during the morning.

Among them was 84-year-old Evelyn Mdlalose, who relied on a crutch to reach Boitshepo Secondary School to cast her vote. She said clean water, electricity, proper roads and streetlights were among the services residents desperately needed.

“We want clean water, we don’t have roads and we don’t have electricity. It is dark at night because there are no streetlights. I am hopeful the party I voted for will deliver,” she said.

In the Vaal, residents of Emfuleni municipality had to navigate sewage flowing through their streets as they made their way to voting stations.

In Sebokeng Hostel 2, voters pointed to potholes, illegal dumping and raw sewage as evidence of the municipality’s service delivery problems.

A 27-year-old woman, who asked not to be named, said she had voted in 2021 but had yet to see meaningful improvements. “I believe the party I voted for today will definitely bring change because ever since I voted in 2021, nothing has changed. It is dirty and there are sewage problems,” she said.

Ntsoaki Motaung, 38, who lives in an informal settlement, said unemployment and the lack of water and electricity remained urgent concerns.

“Today I came to the voting station because we have burning issues of unemployment. As residents, we are looking for change. Our shacks do not have water or electricity. I believe my vote today is going to bring a lot of change,” she said.

At the University of the Witwatersrand’s sports hall in Johannesburg, 25-year-old Siam Tanda Mashekila said young people wanted reliable water and electricity, as well as streetlights to make travelling home safer.

However, she questioned whether political parties would deliver on their promises. “I read up on the policies again and thought they looked good on paper, but how sure am I that they are actually going to execute them?” she asked.

– Additional reporting by TimesLIVE

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The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has assured voters that they will be allowed to cast their ballots even if voting is extended beyond the official 9pm closing time, provided they arrive at their registered voting stations before the deadline.

This comes as voting enters its final hours in the 2026 local government elections, with preliminary figures showing that 12-million voters had cast their ballots across the country by 5pm on Wednesday.

Speaking during a media briefing on election day progress, IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo urged eligible voters who had not yet voted to make their way to their registered voting stations before 9pm.

“With just three hours remaining before voting stations close at 9pm tonight, the Electoral Commission urges eligible voters who have not yet voted to visit the voting stations where they are registered before voting closes.

“The commission reassures voters that anyone who arrives at a voting station before 9pm will be allowed to vote, even if the voting process extends beyond the official closing time. This means that voters who are in the queue by 9pm will not be turned away,” he said.

Mamabolo encouraged voters not to wait until the last minute, but to use the remaining hours to exercise their democratic right.

“We, however, encourage voters not to leave it until the last minute, but to use the remaining time to visit voting stations,” he said.

Gauteng recorded the highest number of voters with 3-million people having cast their ballots by 5pm.

KwaZulu-Natal followed with 2.5-million while the Western Cape recorded 1.5-million voters and the Eastern Cape 1.4-million.

The provincial breakdown:

• Gauteng: 3-million
• KwaZulu-Natal: 2.5-million
• Western Cape: 1.5-million
• Eastern Cape: 1.4-million
• Limpopo: 1.1-million
• Mpumalanga: 854,901
• North West: 702,133
• Free State: 588,237
• Northern Cape: 299,381

Mamabolo said voting had progressed well across the country despite a few isolated incidents.

“Voting has progressed well across the country, notwithstanding a few isolated incidents,” he said.

He also said that the commission had made arrangements to ensure voting stations affected by electricity outages had generators and alternative lighting facilities to prevent disruptions during the counting process.

“As voting enters the evening period, adequate arrangements have been made to ensure the availability of generators and alternative lighting facilities at voting stations in areas that have experienced electricity outages, thereby ensuring that the counting process proceeds without unnecessary disruption,” he said.

The IEC said counting would begin at every voting station shortly after voting officially closes.

“The commission is pleased with encouraging turnout at many voting stations across the country. The counting of results will commence at every voting station soon after the closing of voting stations,” Mamabolo said.

TimesLIVE

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Some elderly voters who were approved for special votes turned up at polling stations in Kathorus (Katlehong, Thokoza, Vosloorus), Ekurhuleni, with election observers reporting confusion over the process and concerns about people trying to use their age to skip queues.

An observer said several senior citizens who were expected to vote on Monday or Tuesday had instead arrived on election day.

Some elderly voters in Ekurhuleni say they were unaware of the special voting process as they join other residents to cast their ballots on Wednesday.
Video: @MimieShana pic.twitter.com/vdvm13xOMv

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

“From the morning, we have had a lot of senior citizens who were meant to vote yesterday or Monday because they had special votes but are coming today.

“Some of them want to use their age to get in front of the queue, which is unfair to people who have been waiting before. It doesn’t matter how long,” the observer said.

One elderly voter said she had applied for a special vote because she believed officials would fetch her from home and take her to the voting station.

“I came here today because no one fetched me for a special vote as promised. That is the character of our government. They make promises and barely deliver, but nonetheless we still vote and hope for a change,” she said.

Other elderly voters said they had not known that special voting was an option.

“We did not know about this. That’s why we came today with everyone else,” one voter said.

The confusion comes after the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) confirmed that 1,425,942 people cast special votes during the two-day period on November 2 and 3.

Of the 2,655,067 applications approved nationwide, 974,852 people voted at voting stations, while 451,090 cast their ballots through home visits.

This represents about 53.7% of approved special voters. The country has 29.2-million registered voters for the 2026 local government elections.

Special voting is intended for registered voters who are unable to vote on election day or cannot physically reach their voting stations because of infirmity or disability.

Sowetan

TimesLIVE

Tesla has marketed supervised full self-driving (FSD) software to prospective buyers in South Korea for years, often collecting lump-sum payments of 9.043-million won (R112,000).

FSD can be used on about 20% of Tesla vehicles registered in South Korea — those manufactured in the US, Tesla Korea country manager Seo Young-deuk said in parliamentary testimony last month. Those cars meet US vehicle-safety standards that South Korea recognises as part of a free trade agreement, according to the forthcoming complaint to the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC), seen by Reuters.

The complaint to the regulator, which also handles antitrust, has not been previously reported.

However, most Tesla vehicles in South Korea are manufactured in China, where no such agreement exists. Tesla only recently started the process for obtaining FSD certification for China-made vehicles, despite charging customers for the software for more than three years.

Tesla did not respond to requests for comment. A KFTC official said the agency launched a probe earlier this year into Tesla’s advertising of its FSD system and has received written responses from the company, but declined to provide further details.

Fair trade commission investigating

It is unclear how many South Korean customers purchased FSD subscriptions on ineligible vehicles, but Tesla has sold more than 170,000 Shanghai-produced vehicles in South Korea since 2023, according to Tesla data sent to South Korea’s national assembly.

“Tesla generated substantial revenue by selling an expensive driver-assistance system to mass-market buyers who cannot use it for even a single day,” said Choi Young-suk, who leads automotive issues at the advocacy group Citizens United for Consumer Sovereignty.

Tesla continued to market FSD as sales of ineligible China-manufactured Teslas surged in South Korea in recent years. Sales of FSD-incompatible Teslas made in China grew more than fivefold in South Korea from 2023 through last year, when 99% of new Teslas sold in South Korea could not legally use FSD, according to data Tesla submitted to the national assembly.

Despite years of promises from CEO Elon Musk that all Teslas would soon become fully driverless vehicles, FSD is not autonomous and requires active human supervision.

Tesla has sought to expand FSD’s reach beyond North America, particularly in Europe, where the company has waged a pressure campaign against European regulators.

Tesla sales surge in South Korea

Tesla surpassed BMW this year as South Korea’s top imported car brand, according to South Korean import data.

It sold FSD for one-time payments for years ahead of the service’s activation last year, before shifting to a monthly subscription of 150,000 won (R1,857) in August.

The complaint alleges Tesla promoted FSD last year as “coming soon” and posted a demonstration video filmed in South Korea without clearly disclosing the technology could only be used in a small fraction of Teslas being sold.

The company knew those limitations but continued to market the software to all customers, the complaint said.

Tesla Korea manager Seo testified during an October 8 parliamentary hearing that the company had not formally requested FSD testing from the transport ministry. Two weeks later, Tesla applied for certification.

The ministry said FSD does not comply with local safety rules, including requirements for drivers to keep their hands on the wheel, according to a statement it sent to a lawmaker, reviewed by Reuters. The transport ministry could not be reached for comment.

The consumer group accused Tesla Korea of deceptive marketing and asked the KFTC to issue a temporary cease-and-desist order on marketing FSD for ineligible vehicles, impose administrative fines and refer the case to state investigators.

A Seoul court last month dismissed a lawsuit filed by Tesla owners seeking refunds for its FSD option, which was not activated in South Korea until late last year.

The court rejected their claim that Tesla had failed to deliver the driver-assistance system, saying regulatory and legal restrictions had limited the company’s ability to roll out further functions.

Reuters

Special voting took place on Monday and Tuesday, with the IEC saying more than 1.4-million voters cast their ballots.

Stream courtesy of SABC.

TimesLIVE

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The DA’s mayoral candidate in Emfuleni municipality, Kingsol Chabalala, said his vote signals the beginning of the end of what he describes as years of chaos, poor governance and failing service delivery in Emfuleni.

Speaking after casting his vote on Wednesday, Chabalala said residents deserved a municipality that worked for all communities.

“My vote signals my intention to end the chaos in our municipality and ensure that we build communities that get the services they deserve. Every resident deserves a municipality that works for all communities,” he said.

He accused the ANC of failing residents by neglecting basic services and allowing conditions in the municipality to deteriorate.

“The ANC has scandalised this municipality. It cannot even render the most basic services. My vote is the first step in ensuring that from the 5th (of November), this municipality will be fixed. It will be a municipality that is going to serve all communities,” he said.

Chabalala said a DA-led administration’s priority would be stabilising municipal finances and assessing the municipality’s financial position.

My vote signals my intention to end the chaos in our municipality and ensure that we build communities that get the services they deserve.

Kingsol Chabalala

“One of the things we need to do is protect the financial resources of the municipality. In the first 100 days we are going to establish how much cash flow the municipality has,” he said.

He said the party would review infrastructure projects and investigate why many communities continue to struggle with poor service delivery.

“We need to look at all the infrastructure projects, where they are, and ascertain why communities are not getting services. That is what is going to inform us,” he said.

According to Chabalala, the municipality’s staffing capacity would also come under review through an audit.

“We want to do an audit of the vacancies and assess what capacity we have so that we are able to plan properly and start delivering,” he said.

He said residents consistently raised concerns about lack of water, poor roads and difficulties obtaining proof of residence documents.

“One of the most resounding messages from our communities is that people do not have water. Some communities have poor roads. We are going to ensure ward councillors are held accountable and that communities do not struggle to get proof of residence,” he said.

His promises come against the backdrop of service delivery challenges witnessed by Sowetan during visits to four voting stations in Emfuleni on Wednesday.

While long queues at voting stations suggested strong voter turnout and optimism about the elections, conditions in several communities painted a different picture.

A drive through various neighbourhoods revealed pothole-riddled roads, sewage flowing through streets and illegal dumping along roads.

Unemployment emerged as a key concern, with young people gathered outside spaza shops and residents calling for a government that will create jobs and improve living conditions.

Many voters expressed frustration with poor service delivery and said they hoped the incoming administration would address long-standing problems affecting their communities.

Looking ahead to the election outcome, Chabalala expressed confidence that voters were ready for change and predicted a strong performance for the DA.

“If you look at the political mood in Emfuleni, residents are ready for change. Our campaign has been warmly received and supported by residents. I think we are going to shock a lot of people with the results,” he said.

He dismissed the prospect of coalition talks, insisting that the party’s focus was on securing a governing majority.

“Coalitions are not in our vocabulary. We are not thinking about coalitions. The only thing we are thinking about is an outright majority,” he said.

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Millions of South Africans descended at thousands of voting stations to cast their votes in the 2026 local government elections.

According to the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), voting went well across the country, with 98% of the 23,696 voting stations having opened by 7am. However, it was not all smooth sailing, as a few glitches were reported at some stations, including a police officer being removed from election duty, while a party agent was arrested.

Voting stations are expected to close at 9pm. Here is what you must know about what happened on election day:

• An elderly woman collapsed and died while standing in the queue waiting to vote in Shallcross, KZN. Her family rushed her to hospital where she was declared dead on arrival;
• While the official opening time at voting stations was 7am, some stations only opened by 9am due to localised protests as well as access challenges due to heavy rain in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal;
• By 10am, preliminary indications were that 3.5-million voters had already cast their ballots across the country;
• A police officer who had allegedly arrived at a KZN polling station in a vehicle which was branded with posters of a political party was removed from election duty. She also faces the possibility of internal disciplinary processes to investigate her alleged unprofessional conduct; and

• A party agent in Limpopo was arrested after allegedly taking a video of an IEC official counting envelopes containing ballot papers and giving feedback to the area manager. She allegedly showed the video to other party agents, who immediately entered the voting station and caused disruptions.

Sowetan

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A 32-year-old man from Zithobeni, in Bronkhorstspruit, chose to collect water from a borehole at Dan Kutumela Secondary School rather than cast his vote on Wednesday.

Bronkhorstspruit recently made headlines after more than 800 people fell ill following water contamination linked to the lack of chlorine at a water treatment plant.

The City of Tshwane has warned residents not to drink the local running water until it issues an official communication confirming its safety.

The man, who asked to remain anonymous, told Sowetan that he had decided not to vote. “What is the point of going to vote when you have no services?

“Why would I go and vote when I haven’t had water for three weeks,” he asked.

He said he had heard that water was available from the school’s borehole after having had no tap water for more than three weeks, and decided to replenish supplies for his house rather than go to the voting station.

The man said he had previously participated in four elections, two national and two local. “Nothing has changed,” he said.

He said he would continue the day with his normal life affairs after he had collected the water.

A few streets away, other residents were seen collecting water from a gushing fire hydrant near a voting station.

A 25-year-old man, who also asked to remain anonymous, shared similar sentiments about voting. “After collecting water here, I am going to do my laundry and then sleep. The reason I am off today is because of the voting.”

However, not everyone in the community felt the same way. First-time voter Nokulunga Masango, 21, told Sowetan that she was satisfied with the voting process.

“It was an in-and-out thing. I am very nervous about the outcome but also very optimistic because I feel like my vote is very important. I am glad I was able to drag myself [to the voting station],” she said.

Masango said she hoped the incoming government would address the water challenges and poor roads in Ext 2.

Sowetan

The crushing defeat suffered by US President Donald Trump’s Republican Party in the midterm elections is a reminder of just how politically toxic inflation is.

Former US president Joe Biden learnt that lesson two years ago, and it was the Republican Party’s turn on Tuesday, as the Democrats raced to a “clean sweep” victory, taking control of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Trump went into the midterm elections with personal approval ratings and economic trustworthiness scores near record lows, with much of the focus on his “poor handling of the economy”. Some measures of consumer confidence earlier this year sank to their lowest levels since records began in the 1950s.

In many ways, this was surprising, if not baffling. The US economy boasts the fastest growth in the G7 group of nations, expanding at an annualised 3.4% pace in the third quarter. The stock market hit a record high less than a month ago, and household net wealth is the highest yet. Jobless benefit claims are near their lowest levels since the 1960s, and the unemployment rate is just 4.2%, a level consistent with “full employment”.

So what made voters cast all that aside and inflict one of the most resounding midterm defeats on a sitting Republican president in living memory? In economic terms, inflation.

It has been above target for almost six years, compounding pressure on Americans’ pocketbooks. In voters’ eyes, Trump’s two most consequential and controversial policies — last year’s tariffs and this year’s war with Iran — turned painful price pressures into a crippling affordability crisis.

While the inflationary impact of tariffs had begun to fade when 2026 rolled around, households were then hit even harder by a surge in energy prices after the outbreak of the Iran war on February 28. Average diesel prices soared to a record high of more than $6.50 per gallon (R28.25/l) in September, and petrol topped $5 per gallon in June, according to AAA data.

US voters often turn against incumbent presidents in midterm elections, regardless of how they feel about the economy. The elections offer a chance to give the party in power a bloody nose, putting it on notice for the presidential election coming two years later.

But this time, it was a knockout punch.

Inflation vs unemployment

A nationwide affordability crisis has been rumbling since the historic inflationary burst that followed the Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It was a key driver of Biden’s low approval ratings going into the 2024 presidential election, which he lost. Inflation is higher now than it was in November 2024, and cost-of-living concerns have snowballed.

Unlike unemployment, everyone is affected by inflation, regardless of wealth, income, or social status. Poor people suffer disproportionately, as they are forced to spend an even greater share of their limited resources on essentials such as food, housing, transport and energy. Moreover, if prices are rising faster than earnings, as they are now, workers are effectively taking a wage cut in real terms.

While higher inflation can sometimes be the cost of maintaining lower unemployment and stronger economic growth, not everyone sees it that way.

A 2024 study by Stefanie Stantcheva at Harvard University said few people recognise the “positive associations or trade-offs” of higher prices. “Instead, inflation is predominantly associated with negative economic and social effects, making it a high priority for policy action.”

Incumbent politicians should be very wary of long periods of elevated prices. A 2019 paper by academics Joseph Macri and Bahram Adrangi found that a one percentage point increase in unemployment reduced the probability of a president receiving a positive approval rating by three percentage points, while a one percentage point increase in inflation reduced the probability of a favourable approval rating by seven percentage points.

Other studies draw the opposite conclusion. A 2022 paper by Lina El-Jahel, Robert MacCulloch and Hamed Shafiee found that a one percentage point rise in unemployment is about six times worse than a percentage point rise in inflation in terms of people’s general well-being, and up to 13 times worse in terms of their negative day-to-day mood.

David Blanchflower, a professor at Dartmouth College and a former Bank of England policymaker, has long argued that unemployment is more pernicious than inflation. He suggests that women, older people and the less educated are more concerned about unemployment, while younger and more educated people fear inflation more. His studies find that a one percentage point increase in unemployment reduces happiness by as much as six times more than a percentage point increase in inflation.

“In a nutshell, unemployment hurts more than inflation,” he and his co-authors wrote in 2014.

In political terms, however, it would seem that US voters in 2026 disagree.

Reuters

Voters who can prove they have cast their ballots by showing their inked thumbs are eligible for special offers at selected establishments across the country. While some businesses offer free treats with no strings attached, others provide rewards or discounts alongside a purchase.

Free treats (no purchase)

1. Wimpy: show your inked thumb at any Wimpy nationwide to claim a free short cappuccino or short hot chocolate.

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2. Krispy Kreme: get one free Original Glazed doughnut per voter at any Krispy Kreme outlet when presenting your marked thumb.

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3. Hennies: is offering voters a complimentary drink on election day. Options include regular or Zero Coca-Cola, Castle Free, Castle Lager or Brutal Fruit L’Orange Spritzer.

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4. Tiger’s Milk: show your marked thumb to receive a complimentary 300ml Castle Lite.

5. Spar Canterbury Crossing: show your inked thumb to enjoy a free soft-serve ice cream.

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6. Zuney Wagyu: head to the restaurant with a marked thumb to receive a free portion of fries.

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7. Ramoon Café: claim a complimentary coffee on election day by showing proof of voting.

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Several other establishments are offering conditional perks or discounts. Spur Steak Ranches are serving a complimentary soft-serve ice cream when you order any main meal, while Vovo Telo (Reefside and Sibaya) is giving away a free cappuccino with any meal order.

Sorbet is offering 10% off any manicure on November 4 and 5, and local coffee shops across the country are running individual specials for voters throughout the day.

Most of the election day promotions and freebies are valid only on November 4.

TimesLIVE

Mahlora Primary School, which was designated as a voting station, was empty for most of the day as residents refused to cast their ballots.

Only the police and IEC officials could be seen inside the school. There weren’t even party agents outside.

The roads were also empty as residents decided to stay home. This was after there was a community meeting where it was decided that no one would be voting.

The affected communities include Nkidikitlana, Ga Musi, Monare and Ga-Chokoe Sterkwater. Residents claim they were not consulted or properly informed by the municipal demarcation board about the decision to move them from ward 3 to ward 6.

Residents of Ga-Chokoe near Lephalale in Limpopo boycotted voting, apparently over a demarcation issue and complaints over candidates. They claim the candidates won't have their best interest at heart. Matlhora Primary School was empty as no one showed up to vote.
Video: Sontaga… pic.twitter.com/e1AIDW2EoY

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

One resident, who asked not to be named, blamed the demarcation board and the municipal council for the situation.

“Our problem is the demarcation board and the municipal council because they did not consult us when they made their decision. Another problem is that the ward they are taking us to will not be able to address our issues, as they will not have our best interests at heart. We also don’t know that ward councillor.”

The resident said the majority of the community did not even register, as they had found out about the decision around the time of the voter registration drive.

“We are not stopping anyone from voting though,” he said.

Beyond their concerns about ward demarcation, the residents raised several longstanding service delivery challenges, saying their community continues to struggle with basic services.

Some of the issues plaguing the rural community include the lack of Apollo lights (high-mast streetlights), leaving the area in the dark at night.

Water supply is another major concern. Residents say the community relies on a single water-pumping machine and believe that additional pumping machines, extended water pipelines and more reservoirs would significantly improve access to water.

They said the water situation had become so dire that they sometimes have to share water sources with livestock, including cows and donkeys.

Road infrastructure is also a major challenge. As one travels through the area, long stretches of gravel roads are evident, making movement difficult for residents. They say the poor road conditions also affect access to public transport, further isolating the community.

Many people in the area live in homes without electricity, while others say they have been waiting for proper housing for more than 30 years.

They want their concerns prioritised by those entrusted with leading the municipality.

“As a community we have problems of water, because sometimes we don’t get water for days. When we don’t get water, we go to the rivers and get our water there because even the water they (the government) supply us is salty.

“We also have issues of roads, because most of them are not tarred. There is one Apollo light for the whole community, and our area is very huge; we need at least four more street lights,” said Joyce Sekalo.

At about 1pm, Nare Chokoe decided to walk to the voting station to cast her vote, saying she wanted to exercise her democratic right despite the community’s concerns.

“I do understand the concerns of the community, but I am a resident of South Africa before I am a resident of this village, and that is why I am voting. Even if they don’t vote, their problems will still persist, so I’m voting,” said Chokoe.

Sowetan

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President Cyril Ramaphosa says SA is accelerating efforts to diversify its trade relations with other countries after its exclusion from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) while expressing hope for stronger bilateral trade relations with the US.

Ramaphosa said the country had already begun diversifying its markets as uncertainty around US tariffs emerged, with several South African companies expanding their trade relationships beyond the American market.

“Diversification has now become the order of the day, and even as the Liberation Day tariff increase process started, we started diversifying. Many of our companies are already dealing with a number of other countries,” he said.

Ramaphosa was speaking on the sidelines after casting his vote alongside First Lady Dr Tshepo Motsepe at Hyde Park High School in Johannesburg during the local government elections on Wednesday.

He described SA’s exclusion from Agoa as a setback but pointed out that the country was not alone, with several other African countries having also experienced exclusion from the trade arrangement.

“The exclusion from Agoa is indeed a negative for us. We are not the only ones who have been excluded and a number of countries on our continent have from time to time been excluded for a variety of reasons. Now we must understand that Agoa is a unilateral trade arrangement that the US decides on doing,” said Ramaphosa.

[WATCH] During a media engagement following his vote in the 2026 Local Government Elections at Hyde Park High School in Johannesburg, President @CyrilRamaphosa reflects on his deep personal connection to Soweto, where he grew up. The President speaks about the significance of voting in Chiawelo, Soweto, and the impact of IEC regulations requiring voters to cast their ballots in the areas where they are registered residents. #LGE2026

— The Presidency 🇿🇦 (@PresidencyZA) November 4, 2026

He said SA would prefer to move towards a bilateral trade agreement with Washington.

“We want to focus more on a bilateral trade agreement where both parties sit down and negotiate trade rules, trade mechanisms that in our view will enforce and reconfirm our own sovereignty as well as the sovereignty of the US,” he said.

“There is a lot that both countries have to offer each other, and we prefer that they should be done on a negotiated basis,” he said.

Ramaphosa said while South African industries had benefitted from Agoa, the government had also been working through the department of trade, industry and competition to identify alternative markets.

“While our industries benefited from Agoa, which is good up to January, we’ve also seen how through the trade and industry and competition department we’ve been diversifying. We’ve been spreading our wings and going to various other countries,” he said.

He stressed that Agoa was not the only arrangement underpinning trade between SA and the US, adding that the two countries continued to exchange a range of products outside the preferential trade programme.

“By the way, our trade relations with the US don’t only revolve around Agoa. We also have trade dealings with the US on a variety of products. So while we are sad that we’ve been removed from Agoa, our trade relations with the US continue, and we want it to get even better through bilateral deals,” he said.

The department of trade, industry and competition confirmed on Monday that the US had given SA 60 days’ notice of its intention to withdraw the country’s Agoa benefits, effective from January 1 2027.

According to the department, Agoa exports were valued at about $1.7bn (R29bn) in 2025, down from $4bn in 2024 and represented about 1% of SA’s total global exports.

The government said it would accelerate efforts to diversify export markets, including opportunities in the African Continental Free Trade Area, India, the EU, the UK, and China.

TimesLIVE

“Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message,” parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Iran’s chief negotiator, posted on X, adding that Washington should not ignore public opinion by attacking his country again.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in a written statement that US hostility would persist regardless of which party was in power, warning against “even the slightest inclination towards submission” to the US.

“The US sees the end of its hegemony as distant; we see it as near,” he added.

Old foes

Democrats captured majorities in both the Senate and House in Tuesday’s election, with victories in Republican strongholds underscoring deep frustration with Trump’s stewardship of the economy and his decision to launch a war that drove up gas prices.

In Iran, a news outlet run by the judiciary shared a joke circulating on X that “Trump failed at regime change in Iran but he succeeded in Texas”, a reference to the southern state where a Democrat won a Senate race for the first time in decades.

But two senior Iranian sources said that while Iranian leaders welcomed the Democrats’ victory, Tehran was concerned that Trump could seek to compensate for it with a military strike, and remained on high alert.

Iran’s leaders have long regarded the US as their main enemy, referring to it as “the Great Satan”.

At a state-organised rally on Wednesday commemorating the student takeover of the US embassy in Tehran during the 1979 Islamic revolution, demonstrators voiced triumph at an election they linked to Iran’s success in surviving months of US attacks.

“The fact that the might of these warmongering Republicans has been broken, something unprecedented in human history, means that from now on we will see the real war unfolding inside the US Senate and among American officials,” said one, giving only his family name of Nazari.

Mediators have intensified efforts to end the war amid fears it could reignite after the election, with Trump on Tuesday declining to rule out a resumption of combat operations after the vote and Iran planning wider retaliation if war resumed.

The US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, and Iran responded with strikes on Israel and Gulf states that host US bases. Conflict also erupted in Lebanon between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel, and more recently spread to Yemen, from where the Iran-aligned Houthis have struck energy facilities, airports and other targets in Saudi Arabia.

Global oil and gas prices have shot up with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz severely disrupted after Tehran declared it closed, while the US has imposed a naval blockade on Iran, hitting Iran’s economy hard.

‘Iran’s shadow over US elections’

Ahead of the US election, senior Iranian officials said that Tehran was deliberately prolonging talks with the US to weaken Trump politically ahead of the vote.

Some news outlets played on the timing of the election on the anniversary of the embassy seizure, when radical students cemented Iran’s toppling of the US-backed Shah by storming the embassy and holding 52 Americans hostage there for 444 days.

Major Iranian newspaper Hamshahri linked the events with a front-page image showing Trump blindfolded with his head bowed.

With a headline declaring “Iran’s shadow over US elections”, it said Washington had been “47 years Iran’s captive: from the capture of the spies’ nest (US embassy) to the November 2026 US Congress elections”.

The Iran war has been unpopular among Americans since it began, and blaming the war for driving up costs was a focus of the Democrats’ election campaign.

Khamenei’s message signalled that Tehran had no intention of showing flexibility on its demands for lasting control over the Strait of Hormuz or conditions to end the conflict.

“The consequences of (US) miscalculations and arrogant delusions have manifested as a heavy burden of costs, borne by the American people and the puppet regimes subservient to the US government,” he said.

Trump has offered shifting goals and timelines for the war that is now in its ninth month.

“I think a part of it was Iran, but at the same time people understood the importance of what I’ve done with Iran,” Trump told Fox News, referring to the election result.

The conservative Iranian newspaper Jam-e Jam declared the election result “The twilight of Trumpism”.

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ANC deputy president Paul Mashatile has called on councillors who are victorious in the election to put voters first.

Speaking on the sidelines of his voting station in Kelvin, Johannesburg, he said the pleas of residents must be heard and acted upon after the election.

“What is important from now on is for councillors who are going to come in to address the challenges our people are facing,” he said.

“When candidates were campaigning, we heard what people were raising.”

He said people in Johannesburg and in Bronkohorstspruit in Tshwane had highlighted water challenges, problems with roads and young people looking for jobs.

“We hope that councillors that are going to come in from all parties will prioritise working for the people and not for themselves,” Mashatile said.

He said all councillors should prioritise job creation and improve service delivery for everybody.

“We have said this to ANC councillors, that they are there for you. We are confident that in the coming years, people are going to see a lot of improvement from the side of the ANC.”

Mashatile said he had confidence the ANC would garner enough support in Johannesburg to lead the city again, despite the high level of contestation.

“It has been a difficult campaign and in Johannesburg there are more parties campaigning — plus-minus 80 parties. It is a big challenge, but we have put up a good fight. We have been to all corners of this region with our teams and people came out. We did door-to-door, and we are confident the ANC will get good support.”

The deputy president called on despondent voters not to lose hope and to make use of their democratic right.

“When you sit at home and don’t vote, some other people are going to vote for you. What they vote for, that’s what you will get. People are spoilt for choice so there’s no need to stay at home.

“I want to call upon all South Africans to go out and vote. It’s good for our democracy. This is what we fought for and it is good to see many people participating in many parts of the country. We are urging the people to vote for the party of their choice.”

Mashatile said he appreciated the conduct of political parties contesting this election.

“It is democratic, it is free. There is no intimidation, no violence. People have been campaigning for a long time and the time to vote has come now. I want to thank all the volunteers on our side who were campaigning extremely well, so I am sure that the ANC will lead in the election results.”

TimesLIVE

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Pensioners outnumbered younger voters at several polling stations in Hammanskraal, Tshwane, on Wednesday morning.

Many elderly residents went to voting stations very early to cast their ballots in the hope the next local government administration would address the area’s longstanding service delivery challenges.

At three voting stations Sowetan visited, elderly voters appeared to make up the bulk of those queuing to cast their ballots, with many saying they wanted better access to clean water, electricity, roads and safer communities.

WATCH | Eighty-four-year-old Linah Kwinika from Hammanskraal says she voted for a government that will ensure that clean water flows from her taps. Video: Herman Armando Moloi pic.twitter.com/IsEaUfRgTm

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

Among them was 84-year-old Evelyn Mdlalose, who relied on a crutch to make her way to Boitshepo Secondary School to cast her vote.

Despite her age and mobility challenges, Mdlalose said she was determined to participate in the elections, hoping the government she voted for would deliver the basic services residents had been waiting for.

“We want clean water, we don’t have roads and we don’t have electricity. It is dark at night because there are no streetlights. I am hopeful the party I voted for will deliver,” she said.

Piet Kekana, 63, from Hammanskraal, Tshwane, says he voted for a party that will bring change and fight crime in the area.
Video: @Moloi_Herman1 pic.twitter.com/zAbDL6yxSd

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

Access to clean water remains a major concern in Hammanskraal, where more than 30 people died in May 2023 during a cholera outbreak linked to contaminated supply. The outbreak exposed longstanding concerns about the quality of water in parts of the area.

For 80-year-old Piet Kekana, the priority was tackling the crime that continues to worry residents.

“We want peace. We want the candidate to fight crime, which is severe in our area,” he said.

Linah Kwinaka, 81, told Sowetan she had cast her ballot for a candidate she believed could finally address the area’s water crisis.

Sowetan

Water shortages, electricity failures, crime, unemployment and poor municipal services are central election issues.

The election could reshape local political alliances and influence the country’s political direction ahead of the 2029 national elections.

TimesLIVE

Scope’s executive director for sovereign and public sector ratings, Eiko Sievert, said the Democrats gaining control of both the House and the Senate — and US President Donald Trump’s swift acceptance of Republican defeats — confirmed the resilience of US “checks and balances”.

Scope said the rebalancing to some extent of the distribution of power between the White House and Congress was “credit positive” and supported the US’s AA-rating and its “stable” outlook.

Looking ahead, a Democratic-controlled Congress will close most legislative routes for the Trump administration, raising the stakes of annual budget negotiations and severely constraining the administration’s ability to implement its domestic policy agenda.

Nevertheless, Scope expects the direction of fiscal policy to remain broadly unchanged, with headline deficits of around 7%-8% of GDP.

Fiscal policy execution risks will rise, however, as negotiations over appropriations and the debt limit become more protracted.

As public debt rises and interest costs absorb a growing share of federal revenue, pressures on debt sustainability and fiscal governance remain key considerations for the US sovereign rating.

Scope expects US debt to rise from 124% of GDP in 2025 to around 145% by 2031, the second highest among advanced economies after Japan.

Reuters

Sudan accuses Ethiopia of supporting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, while Ethiopia accuses Sudan of backing rebels in its northern Tigray region.

The allegations and counter-allegations, which both sides deny, have raised fears that the two wars could bleed into each other, spawning a broader conflict in the Horn of Africa.

On Sunday Sudan’s government said it had lodged a complaint against Ethiopia with the UN Security Council and the African Union’s Peace and Security Council, accusing Ethiopia of allowing the RSF to use its territory to launch suicide drones against civilian infrastructure in Sudan.

The spokesperson for the Ethiopian prime minister’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ethiopia ordered six staff members of the Sudanese consulate in the border town of Assosa to leave within 48 hours, the senior Ethiopian official said, without providing a reason for the decision.

The official asked not to be named to discuss a sensitive diplomatic matter.⁠

Addis Ababa denies it supports the RSF in Sudan’s civil war. The conflict has displaced more than 14-million people, according to UN figures, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises since it erupted in April 2023.

Ethiopia has accused Sudan, Egypt and Eritrea of supporting Tigrayan rebels who launched an offensive against government forces in September. All three countries have denied this.

“The Sudanese government remains committed to its right to defend its territory. Nevertheless, it is making every possible effort to avoid an open war with Ethiopia,” Amjad Farid, political and foreign affairs adviser for Sudan’s Transitional Sovereign Council, said.

Reuters

Speaking to Sowetan after casting her ballot on Wednesday morning at Mokopane Primary School in the Mogalakwena local municipality, Ramathuba acknowledged that residents continued to face challenges, including unemployment, water shortages and poor roads.

However, she urged them not to allow these difficulties to discourage them from voting.

Limpopo premier Dr Phophi Ramathuba arrives at Mokopane Primary School in the Mogalakwena Local Municipality where she will cast her vote.
Video: Sontaga Letshelele pic.twitter.com/ossHLlqW6k

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

She also highlighted the provincial government’s interventions in municipalities struggling with service delivery challenges.

“We don’t need to wait to be elected to intervene. Just go and check our track record. You will see the interventions we have made since we came from the ANC Provincial Conference,” she said.

Ramathuba cited interventions in the Waterberg district, Lephalale, Vhembe, Greater Giyani, Tzaneen and Polokwane, particularly around water provision, sanitation and road infrastructure.

Limpopo is one of the provinces that have battled with a myraid of service delivery challenges for years as well as municipalities that heavily depend on consultants to balance their books.

There were those we did not find at their homes. There were also those who did not want to vote because their family members had applied for them [and] they were not aware they had applied for them

Nkaro Mateta, IEC provincial electoral officer

Ramathuba said the provincial government had established the premier’s war room to address persistent water challenges in Polokwane, adding that boreholes had been rehabilitated and road infrastructure improved.

Before going to vote, Ramathuba had earlier observed the electoral process at Mitchell House voting station, where she was received by the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) provincial electoral officer Nkaro Mateta.

Mateta expressed satisfaction with the progress of the electoral process in the province, saying the IEC had successfully conducted 75% of its planned special-vote home visits by the time the special voting period closed.

However, Mateta raised concerns about some challenges experienced during the special voting process, including instances where voters were not aware that family members had applied for special votes on their behalf.

“There were those we did not find at their homes. There were also those who did not want to vote because their family members had applied for them [and] they were not aware that they had applied for them. Such issues waste the resources of the commission and create problems,” she said.

Earlier, Sowetan spoke to residents in Mokopane town ahead of the premier’s arrival at the voting station. One of them, Ronald Ledwaba, said he was in town to do some shopping before heading to his voting station.

Ledwaba acknowledged that residents continued to experience service delivery challenges, including unemployment, but expressed hope that the elections would bring positive changes to their lives.

Sowetan

Story audio is generated using AI

As Republicans suffered a landslide defeat and Texas elected its first Democratic governor in more than three decades, one of the biggest losers of the US midterms was not on the ballot: billionaire Elon Musk.

The world’s richest man spent nearly half-a-billion dollars to back Republican candidates and keep Texas red — a state home to his automaker Tesla, rocket-to-AI company SpaceX and a planned chipmaking venture between the two.

Those bets unravelled as Democrats seized both chambers of Congress and Gina Hinojosa defeated Greg Abbott in the Texas governor’s race, in a stinging rebuke to US President Donald Trump, a close Musk ally whom the billionaire helped elect.

Musk, who urged his followers on X to vote Republican as recently as Tuesday, now faces a resurgent Democratic Party that he has spent years antagonising.

The Republican Party’s largest donor even threatened retaliation last month on his social media platform after a report said Democrats were considering probes into his companies if they won midterms.

Shares of SpaceX fell 3.8% in premarket trading, while Tesla was down 3.6% as both stocks lagged the broader market.

One of Musk’s biggest challenges could be slower approvals for the data centres crucial to tapping the $28.5-trillion addressable market that SpaceX touted to investors ahead of its IPO.

Analysts and experts expect Democrats to tighten scrutiny of data-centre projects and push for construction moratoriums as local opposition grows over electricity costs.

“A Democratic sweep of Congress would put pressure on tech and potentially bring regulatory pressure on everything AI and possibly slow down the wild, wild west growth figures that we see daily and often take for granted,” said Jake Dollarhide, CEO of Longbow Asset Management.

“Musk was the Hail Mary for Republicans leading down to the wire. Unfortunately, his large infusion of cash to back red states could not overcome higher utility bills, prices at the grocery store and prices at the gas [petrol] pump.”

Musk has also drawn scrutiny from Democratic legislators over restrictions on satellite communications used by Ukraine’s military, mass federal job cuts under his watch at Doge and the government contracts and subsidies flowing to his companies.

One of the legislators is Robert Garcia, the next House oversight committee chair, who had a blunt two-word message for Republicans and their allies on Tuesday evening: “Lawyer up.”

Hinojosa pushes for data-centre moratorium

In Texas, Musk also might have to deal with the tenuous relations between him and Hinojosa.

The incoming governor had sued to obtain e-mails between Musk and Abbott and accused the former governor of selling out the Lone Star state by offering favourable deals to the billionaire.

She has also dismissed Abbott’s efforts to rein in data centres as political theatre, calling instead for an immediate halt to new projects until legislators strengthened protections for local communities, as well as an end to tax breaks.

Musk himself appeared to make light of the hurdles. “Data centres in space looking pretty appealing right now,” he posted on X, alluding to SpaceX’s ambitious plan to put data centres in orbit despite major challenges around cooling and repairs.

The company’s AI business is centred around Colossus and Colossus II, two of the world’s largest AI data centres near Memphis. Renting their computing power to customers including Anthropic has sent revenue soaring and helped SpaceX post its first profit as a public company.

But the company aims to nearly double capacity from 1.7 gigawatts at September-end to as much as 3 gigawatts by year-end, before scaling up to 13 gigawatts next year.

Any delays in bringing the capacity online may hamper Musk’s ambitious revenue targets and intensify scrutiny from investors growing wary about AI infrastructure’s mounting costs.

Chip research firm SemiAnalysis has identified more than 9 gigawatts of planned or developing capacity, including new facilities at SpaceX’s Starbase complex in Boca Chica, Texas. That Boca Chica expansion could face resistance as Hinojosa has opposed the potential sale of a beachfront state park to SpaceX after Texas Monthly reported officials had discussed the deal.

“Let me be clear: Texas is not for sale,” Hinojosa said last month. Musk, meanwhile, has deleted his election-day appeal to his followers to vote Republican.

Reuters

Springbok assistant coach Jerry Flannery said South Africa expects a sizeable battle against the Azzuri.

The Boks may be ranked first in the world and Italy 11th, but Flannery stressed the Europeans pose threats with their forward pack and among their backs.

Italy will be missing several key players due to injury, including Juan Ignacio Brex, Tommaso Menoncello, and Sebastian Negri. Flannery, though, is adamant the Azzurri will still field a strong outfit, with players who will bring a different dimension to the team.

“We still respect them enormously — when they came to Pretoria last year, they were also missing key players and ran us close,” Flannery said of the 42-24 win to South Africa at Loftus Versfeld in July 2025.

“They have a really strong set piece. In fact, their scrum was probably among the best in the Six Nations and that gives them a significant platform.

“They’re also a well-coached team that does the basics extremely well. They still have players like Ange Capuozzo, who can break a game open from nothing.

“Brex is a really good footballer and Menoncello is one of the best centres in the world, but they’ve shown real squad depth and going into a World Cup year, giving more caps will benefit them long term. We’re looking at defending them as a team, not just individuals.”

On what the Boks are expecting from them this weekend, the former Irish hooker said: “If your players don’t make their first-time tackles, Italy will make metres, and that’s what we saw in Pretoria too.

“They have a strong kicking game, with players like Paolo Garbisi, who has an excellent left foot, and they have good aerial players, so we need to be strong in that area. And if there are any scraps off the back of their kicking game, Capuozzo can create something from nothing, so controlling those areas will be key.”

The top nations from the northern and southern hemispheres are set to face one another in the Finals Weekend in London at the end of the month. The next-ranked teams line up against one another in each hemisphere in the lead-up to the final match on November 29.

Flannery said he believes that makes this tour similar to playing playoff rugby.

“I think the tour is a good representation of what’s coming heading into a World Cup year.

“The squad must get together and play games consistently in a short period of time. We’re not yet sure how much we’ll rotate through this period, but for me it’s almost like knockout rugby — the group stages, round of 16, quarterfinal, semifinal and final. It’s that kind of intensity.”

The Bok assistant coach, however, was confident that the players were gelling well after two training sessions so far this week and given they have been together for most of the international season.

“I don’t think it’s easy, but I believe it’s fairly similar for most teams competing in the Nations Championship.

“We were together for a long time and a lot of the current squad were part of that entire period.”

Springbok scrumhalf Morné van den Berg, who will partner Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu in the halfback combination, was excited about returning to the field in the green and gold.

“I’m really enjoying it — my body feels good, and I feel sharp,” Van den Berg said.

“When you get the opportunity to represent the Springboks, it’s incredible. Every time you get the call-up, you want to take it with both hands.

“So, to be able to play more is an absolute blessing. And when I play for my club, that’s also an opportunity to put my hand up and show what I can do. To play more at both levels is massive.”

SA Rugby media

Story audio is generated using AI

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has reiterated measures to ensure visually impaired voters can cast their ballots independently and privately during the 2026 local government elections.

IEC deputy chief electoral officer Masego Sheburi said the commission uses universal ballot templates (UBTs) to assist braille-literate voters in marking their ballots.

“For our countrymen and women who are visually impaired, the commission uses universal ballot templates which enable braille-literate South Africans to make a mark on their ballots independently and thereby safeguard and guarantee the secrecy of their political choice,” he said.

Sheburi explained that each voting station is equipped with either a single-column or double-column universal ballot template, depending on the ballot configuration required for that election.

He said the longest template could accommodate 80 candidates, with numbered slots corresponding to the sequence of candidates on the ballot paper.

“The longest UBT ballot has 80 candidates. It has 80 slots and numbers one up to 80. That works very well where we have in excess of 76 candidates in that the ballot will read and follow the UBT sequence,” he said.

However, for shorter double-column ballots, electoral staff would assist braille-literate voters.

“Where we have shorter double-column ballots, we will assist braille-literate voters with the numbering and sequence of candidates on the party so that once they place their ballot in the UBT, they are able to follow the Braille numbering on that ballot and therefore avoid chances of miscast votes,” he said.

The IEC also clarified the rules concerning political party regalia at voting stations, saying ordinary voters are permitted to wear party clothing when casting their ballots.

“We wish to remind presiding officers and electoral staff that voters may present at the voting station in whatever regalia they choose. A voter who comes to a voting station in party regalia and only conducts one political activity, which is to mark a ballot and leave the voting station, is permitted to do so,” Sheburi said.

However, political party agents and candidates are prohibited from wearing party regalia within the boundaries of a voting station.

Sheburi further encouraged voters who had not yet cast their ballots to verify their voting station details and sequence numbers on the voters’ roll before making their way to vote.

For our countrymen and women who are visually impaired, the commission uses universal ballot templates which enable braille-literate South Africans to make a mark on their ballots independently

Masego Sheburi, IEC deputy chief electoral officer

The commission also acknowledged the support of the department of home affairs.

“Finally, the commission wishes to acknowledge the department of home affairs for availing its offices to ensure that citizens who may have mislaid their identity documents continue to get identity documents,” he said.

He also thanked the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (NatJoints) for its role in creating a conducive environment for the elections.

The IEC extended its appreciation to the national broadcaster, other media houses and Eskom for their support, particularly in addressing electricity challenges that could result in delays at voting stations.

With voting continuing until 9pm, Sheburi ended with a call to South Africans who were yet to cast their ballots.

“We call on all South Africans to get up, to show up and to vote,” he said.

TimesLIVE

According to an eyewitness, the man walked in and produce the suspected ID. The security was called to ensure the voters are safe at Kanana Primary School in Midrand.

The police were also called to ensure the safety of voters and the credibility of the voting process.

JUST IN | The voting station at Kanana primary school in Midrand opened more than an hour late. Some residents said they had been queueing since 5am. Our reporter Koena Mashale has more details for you.
Download our App, follow our WhatsApp channel for the latest news. pic.twitter.com/G0zEn2qaXQ

— Sowetan (@Sowetan1981) November 4, 2026

This led to delays which frustrated the Rabie Ridge residents, with many saying they wanted to go home after waiting for hours since 5am. The station opened at 8am.

A security guard told Sowetan that political party members tried to take pictures and videos of the commotion earlier.

Daniel Motlhanke said he’s been at the station for over two hours and was getting tired of waiting.

“We’ve [been] here since 5am and they’re not taking us seriously. We arrived here with the intention to get this done and get on with our days. We have better things to do than wait in line, and we’re not being told anything,” he said.

“One will even stand in line for too long and forget who they decided to vote for.”

Another resident, Elias Maswanganye, said he needed to go home to drink his pills and couldn’t wait any longer.

“What if we faint here while waiting to vote in this heat and we’re tired? At least let us sit in one of the classrooms until you’re ready instead of letting us stand out here,” he said.

“It’s like it’s part of their tactic to make us stand here and forget who to vote for and just make a mess of things.”

Sowetan

Story audio is generated using AI

More than 3.5-million South Africans had cast their ballots by 10am on Wednesday as voting got under way across the country for the 2026 local government elections.

Voting opened at 7am and is expected to close at 9pm with the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) reporting that 98% of the country’s 23,996 voting stations had opened by the regulated time.

Speaking during a media briefing on the state of readiness for election day, IEC deputy chief electoral officer Masego Sheburi said a few voting stations experienced delays due to localised protests and access challenges caused by inclement weather.

“A few voting stations opened by 9 due to localised protests and access challenges due to inclement weather. Those were in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and one in Mpumalanga province. We confirm that by 9 o’clock all stations were operating,” he said.

Sheburi said the commission had introduced additional measures to improve the efficiency of the voting process and manage queues.

“As an efficiency measure, the commission has added the use of hand-held barcode scanners attached to the voter management devices. These have assisted in the increased speed in which we process voters and therefore manage queues at voting stations.”

The commission is particularly encouraged by those voters who make their way to stations early in the morning to avoid the last-hour rushes in the afternoon

Masego Sheburi, IEC deputy chief electoral officer

He said the voter management devices continued to play a central role in the electoral process, with preliminary figures indicating that 3.5-million people had voted by 10am.

“The voter management device is proving to be the mainstay of both the registration process as well as an election. To illustrate its performance, by 10 o’clock, preliminary indications are that 3.5-million voters had already voted.

Gauteng recorded the highest number of voters in the timeframe. The provincial breakdown was as follows:

• Gauteng: 895,000;
• KwaZulu-Natal: 623,000;
• Western Cape: 461,000;
• Eastern Cape: 431,000;
• Limpopo: 366,000;
• Mpumalanga: 252,000;
• North West: 204,000;
• Free State: 195,000; and
• Northern Cape: 93,000.

Sheburi commended voters who had made their way to voting stations early, saying this helped avoid the afternoon rush.

“The commission is particularly encouraged by those voters who make their way to stations early in the morning to avoid the last-hour rushes in the afternoon.”

He urged registered voters who had not yet cast their ballots to use the remaining hours before voting stations close at 9pm.

“We urge all remaining registered voters to use the remaining hours of voting to cast their ballot and thereby exercise their democratic right and continue to influence affairs in their localities and in their municipalities.”

We urge voters to make an X mark when they do their voting on the designated box against a candidate or party of their choice. Only one mark against a party or candidate of choice. Once you’ve made such a mark, avoid making additional marks because that may render your ballot spoiled

Masego Sheburi

Sheburi also reminded voters that the number of ballot papers they receive depends on the type of municipality in which they are registered, unlike in national and provincial elections.

Voters in category B municipalities, which make up the majority of municipalities, will receive three ballot papers. These include:

• a grey ballot to elect a ward councillor, who may represent a political party or stand as an independent candidate;
• a green ballot to vote for a political party on the proportional representation (PR) list for the local municipality; and
• a yellow ballot to elect a political party representative to represent the area at the district municipality.

Voters in metropolitan municipalities will receive two ballot papers: one for the ward election, where they can vote for a party candidate or an independent candidate and another for the PR component of the election.

Sheburi cautioned voters to ensure they mark their ballots correctly to avoid having them declared spoilt.

“We urge voters to make an X mark when they do their voting on the designated box against a candidate or party of their choice. Only one mark against a party or candidate of choice. Once you’ve made such a mark, avoid making additional marks because that may render your ballot spoiled.”

Voting stations across the country will remain open until 9pm, after which the counting process will begin.

TimesLIVE

The search engine company confirmed it began offering voluntary exit packages in June to some employees in Canada, France, Germany, Japan and Switzerland.

Reuters could not determine how many employees have accepted the latest round of offers, which had not previously been reported.

“In 2025, some of our teams introduced a voluntary exit programme with severance,” a Google spokesperson said. “In June we expanded the programme globally in a few countries to support our important work ahead.”

The move comes amid mounting AI spending that has unnerved Wall Street and dented Alphabet’s stock price. Microsoft last week offered voluntary buyouts to 60,000 employees in an effort to contain costs.

Alphabet’s workforce has grown steadily in recent quarters, but it has sought to shift resources toward priority areas.

The latest buyouts follow voluntary exit programmes offered since last year to employees in some divisions in the US and Britain. Executives have described the programme as an option for employees who no longer feel aligned with the company’s pace or direction.

In at least one case, the company followed its voluntary offers to a division with a round of layoffs.

CFO Anat Ashkenazi has repeatedly highlighted AI and cloud computing as key hiring priorities in quarterly earnings presentations. Employees in Google Cloud and AI unit DeepMind have been excluded from past buyout offers.

The latest expansion appears to follow the same pattern.

In Switzerland, where Google employs about 5,000 people and has a major engineering hub in Zurich, three people familiar with the matter said the programme covered many divisions but excluded DeepMind.

Employees began leaving in August after Google offered voluntary exit packages in the country, the people said.

Google announced the packages in mid-June and gave responses by mid-July to employees who applied, they said. Staff who accepted received one month’s salary for each year of service, up to a maximum of 12 months.

One person said at least four employees in a team of about 50 had accepted the offer.

Google laid off more than 200 employees in Switzerland in 2023, prompting staff protests and a walkout.

Reuters

The tests, developed by the University of Birmingham, will look for signs of several cancers in a blood sample and suggest where in the body they come from.

The trial is a world first to establish whether simple blood tests can help general practitioners (GPs) identify patients who need urgent treatment much sooner.

Cancer mortality in Britain is among the highest across Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries on a per capita basis.

The trial will cover abdominal cancers, including prostate, ovarian, bowel, pancreatic, stomach and liver, which are often diagnosed too late.

At least 200 GP practices across England’s National Health Service will participate in the trial, covering more than 20,000 patients.

Patients aged 45 and over who visit their GP with abdominal symptoms like persistent bloating or discomfort will be able to participate.

The tests will use technologies including artificial intelligence and measuring proteins in the blood.

The trial will assess how well the tests work to support GPs’ judgment before deciding whether to roll them out nationally.

Reuters

From party leaders and senior officials to mayoral candidates, figures across parties were among those casting their ballots at voting stations nationwide. Their participation marks a significant moment in an election that will determine who governs South Africa’s municipalities for the next five years.

The election is being closely watched as parties compete for control of municipalities and metros, with service delivery, unemployment, infrastructure, water and electricity among the key issues facing voters.

TimesLIVE

Story audio is generated using AI

High crime levels, substance abuse and youth unemployment are among the many concerns weighing on Thokoza residents as they cast their votes.

Speaking to Sowetan, many said they hoped the next local government would deliver meaningful change rather than more promises.

For Bontle Mavuka, 22, who had just cast her vote at the New Brethren Apostolic Church in Thokoza, Ekurhuleni, participating in the election was about making her voice heard as a young person. “Even though we all know there won’t be change, we did come out to exercise our rights and have a say.”

Mavuka said some of the challenges facing her community included deteriorating public infrastructure, particularly roads, youth unemployment and a lack of opportunities. “When we leave the township and go into town, we can see the disjuncture. In town, infrastructure is maintained and there are opportunities. The township is neglected until it’s voting time.”

For Gogo Mbatha, 70, the ballot comes with a demand for accountability and tangible change after decades of voting. “We are tired of empty promises. We want change, not promises.

“We have been voting for 32 years, but it feels like we are poorer than before. Money that should be improving the lives of communities is getting lost through unscrupulous dealings and self-enrichment by those in power.

“Meanwhile, our children have become victims of drug abuse, with no opportunities readily available to them. Some resort to crime because conditions at home are tough and they are hungry. Our grant money is not enough to sustain us with the ever-rising cost of living.”

Nthabiseng Bhenuva, 42, said crime levels in Thokoza were extremely high, with substance abuse contributing to the problem.

“Our young people are hooked on drugs. Things are not the same as before in terms of safety. Added to that, basic services such as water and electricity are a challenge. When we ask questions, no one has a response for us,” she said.

Bhenuva said residents wanted to see a return to reliable service delivery. “We want change and things to work like back in the day when amabhunu (the white people) were in charge. We are not saying there was no corruption, but at least things worked. Now nothing works and corruption is the order of the day.”

She said residents had to participate in the elections if they wanted change. “You can’t demand change while sitting at home and not voting.”

Bhenuva was speaking to Sowetan as voters, predominantly women, trickled into polling stations in Thokoza, with some attributing the slow turnout to the scorching heat.

The New Brethren Apostolic Church was the voting station chosen by SACP general secretary Solly Mapaila to cast his vote on Wednesday morning.

Sowetan

These were the words of Zuko Jada, 42, who was turned away from Mvula Primary School, a voting station in Nyanga, Cape Town, after arriving to cast his ballot wearing an ANC T-shirt.

As I walked into the voting station, I was turned away because I was wearing an ANC T-shirt

Zuko Jada, Nyanga resident

Speaking to TimesLIVE after he managed to vote, Jada said he was excited about participating in the elections and hoped his vote would make a difference.

WATCH | Pumlani Dilima, 40, says he was turned away at Hlengisa Primary School, one of the voting stations in Nyanga Township. He brought a broken ID card that shows only a face. Video: Yoliswa Sobuwa pic.twitter.com/zXLl24QAH7

— Times LIVE (@TimesLIVE) November 4, 2026

“As I walked into the voting station, I was turned away because I was wearing an ANC T-shirt. I was told that the voting station was not a campaigning area. I then thought I should rather go home and continue with my beer,” he said.

However, as he was walking out, he was assisted by ANC members stationed outside the voting station, who gave him another top to wear over his party T-shirt, allowing him to return and cast his vote.

George Mqokolo, an ANC member sitting under the party’s tent outside the station, said two people wearing ANC T-shirts had been turned away.

“There is no such rule in the Party Agents’ Manual. It says that as long as a person is of voting age, they can wear their party T-shirts,” he said.

At the voting station at Hlengisa Primary School, 40-year-old Pumlani Dilima was unable to cast his ballot because he arrived with a broken identity document showing only his photograph.

“My ID card broke last year and now I cannot find the other piece. They said I would not be able to vote, even though I know my ID number. I have decided to go home and enjoy a cold one with my friends,” he said.

Voting got off to a slow start in Nyanga, which has 29 voting stations, with only a handful of voters trickling into some stations during the early hours of the day. At others, the atmosphere remained quiet, with little activity.

Western Cape police commissioner Lt-Gen Sizakhele Dyantyi assured voters that security measures were in place across the province to protect the electoral process.

Addressing police officers during their parade earlier in the day, Dyantyi said that with operational plans firmly in place, the focus had shifted to implementation.

“Police and their integrated partners will maintain a visible presence across the province, ensuring that no area is regarded as a no-go area and that every eligible voter can exercise their democratic right without fear or intimidation,” he said.

He reiterated that public confidence in the police had to be upheld, adding that there would be no room for lawlessness, intimidation or attempts to undermine the democratic process.

TimesLIVE

Here is a selection of the reactions.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez

On X he said: “Yesterday, the American people voted against policies that only serve to impoverish people. Against hatred. Against sexism. Against climate denial and against the privileges of the elites.

“It happened in Brazil. It has just happened in the US. And it will happen soon in Spain.”

Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr

“This is a powerful political signal about a change of course among American voters.

“Voices are now emerging in American politics that are closer to us than the president and the administration have stood for, for example on climate and environment, and in foreign policy and development aid policy.”

Taiwan’s foreign ministry

“The ministry of foreign affairs continues to closely monitor developments in the US midterm elections. Our country’s policy toward the US has always been guided by the principles of non-partisanship, building broad-based goodwill and active engagement, and has long enjoyed the consistent support of parties in the US Congress and the executive branch. Building on this foundation, the ministry of foreign affairs will continue to deepen comprehensive co-operation with the US across various fields, including security, trade, technology and education, to ensure the US Congress and local governments continue to prioritise and support US-Taiwan relations and issues of mutual concern.”

SA President Cyril Ramaphosa

He told reporters the results will “introduce a new era in world relations”.

“We have seen the Democrats have taken control of the Senate and of the House, and the people of America have spoken.”

European parliament

On X the European parliament’s vice-president Christel Schaldemose said: “Not because everything now changes for the better, but because it could benefit the support for Ukraine, the green transition, and relations with the rest of the world.”

“But the EU must continue the course of standing stronger and standing on its own two feet. That’s not up for debate.”

Greek government spokesperson

Pavlos Marinakis told local Skai Television: “Greek-American relations will remain strong. The US is our strategic ally, and this will continue for major projects and all major agreements. Nothing will be affected by this outcome. It is obvious we respect every outcome; the conclusions are clear.

“Beyond that, what I can tell you is that it appears that on the key committees there will be individuals with whom the Greek government has very good relations, and that is important for the country.”

Russian deputy foreign minister

Sergei Ryabkov, quoted by Russian state news agency Ria, said: “Let’s wait for the final results. The Democratic Party leadership’s approach to relations with Russia is sharply negative. There is nothing new about that.

“Our principled and consistent line regarding Ukraine, and our foreign policy in general, is not based on short-term considerations and, naturally, does not depend on the fluctuations of the political barometer in other countries. We will continue our work in accordance with the directives of the president of the Russian Federation.”

Japan’s chief cabinet secretary

At a regular press briefing Minoru Kihara said: “Regardless of the outcome of this election, the Japan-US alliance is the cornerstone of Japan’s foreign and security policy.

“As the international situation becomes turbulent and increasingly uncertain, a strong Japan-US alliance is essential for maximising Japan’s national interests and for peace and stability in the international community.”

French finance minister

Roland Lescure told French TV channel BFM: “Either he [US President Donald Trump] decides to rise above the fray — acknowledging changes are necessary, particularly regarding gasoline prices, which directly affect people — and, I might add, he tones down his international involvement; or he does not.

“Frankly, this is something we will need to keep an eye on in the coming days.”

Co-leader of German far-right party AFD

On Germany’s online news outlet T-Online, Alice Weidel was quoted as saying: “Trump had promised his voters not to pursue an interventionist foreign policy. This broken promise has now come back to haunt the Republicans.”

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis

“I think the outcome was as expected, though of course the Democrats’ victory is huge. Even the Republican stronghold of Texas fell, and in some places Democrats gained positions after decades.

“In my view, this means that until the end of President Trump’s term, it will be all about impeachment and vetoes, and a certain kind of paralysis. On the other hand, President Trump will almost certainly continue to do exactly as he pleases.

Let’s hope he finally returns to his promise to end the war in Ukraine and resolve the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz."

Iran’s parliament speaker

On X Mohammad Baqer said: “Americans said no to war, and we endorse this message. If the US government betrays their public will to serve international pay masters and blackmailers, it will learn our no comes with a nightmare.”

Elon Musk on X

“Guess my election-interfering space lasers didn’t work this time.”

Belgian defence minister

Theo Francken said on X: “Governing in the US will be almost impossible in the coming years given the level of internal division and polarisation. As a European politician I will mainly look of course to trade policies, support to Ukraine and Nato.”

Bernd Lange

The European parliament member and head of the parliament’s international trade committee said: “Crushing blow to Trump and his policies. Major victory for American democracy. Voters have spoken: Trump only cares about Trump. Now he’s paying the price for it. No amount of shouting ‘fake news’ can change these facts.

“But what happens next? Will Republicans continue to stand behind Trump? Let’s not be naive. He has spent past years largely governing around Congress.

“Weakened Trump could become more aggressive and unpredictable. A lame duck could quickly turn into an angry duck. For the EU, this is an opportunity and warning. More democratic influence could bring greater predictability and dialogue. But US protectionism won’t disappear. The EU cannot live at Trump’s mercy. Transatlantic partnership matters but EU must be able to act independently and defend its interests.”

Jordan Bardella

The president of the French far-right opposition party National Rally said: “I am not American, and I am not a voter in the US. Consequently, one must respect the verdict of the ballot box, including the results of these midterm elections, which, incidentally, are almost always unfavourable to the incumbent president.

“What is certain is that Donald Trump’s second term differs quite significantly, in its philosophy and foreign policy, from his first, during which his political ambition was to withdraw the United States from major global conflicts. As it happens, American intervention regarding Iran carries very heavy consequences, not only for the US economy, in my view, but also for the European economy, particularly concerning the purchasing power of our own citizens, given the rise in oil prices. So, yes, there is most certainly a link.”

Ines Schwerdtner

The joint leader of Germany’s Left Party said: “This is a crashing defeat for the global right.”

Reuters

The size and breadth of the Democratic wave were still coming into focus. But in gubernatorial races in Texas and Georgia, Democrats who campaigned in part on a moratorium on data centre development won offices that the party had not held for decades.

Their victories hand political heft to the backlash against the projects, which are at the heart of the AI boom but are loud, thirsty for water, hungry for electricity and increasingly unpopular with their neighbours, investors said.

Investors say the results are likely to usher in tougher regulation and could ripple across financial markets, where AI stocks were falling on Wednesday; big bets have already started to wobble amid concerns about spending and overcapacity.

“In our view, the significance of these midterm elections is more like a referendum on AI than a referendum on [Donald] Trump,” said Aidan Yao, a senior investment strategist at the Amundi Investment Institute, the research arm of Europe’s largest asset manager.

“If the AI theme is subject to some restrictions, then the US economy, US inflation and US monetary policy all become very, very uncertain.”

Texas sweep

The most stunning ballot box repudiation was in Texas, which GLJ Research has estimated accounts for about a quarter of US data-centre capacity that is due to come online by 2030.

Democrat Gina Hinojosa ousted Greg Abbott as governor in an upset that ended three decades of Republican hold on the office. At the same time, fellow party member James Talarico became the senator-elect.

The current AI providers really have a PR crisis on their hands right now

Katie Koch, chief executive of asset manager TCW

A conservative, oil-rich state, Texas has worked for years to reinvent itself as a tech hub, attracting companies like SpaceX and entrepreneurs like Elon Musk, who donated more than $150 million to the Republican campaign.

But even Republicans turned against data centres, which opponents say drive up utility bills, pollute the night sky with lights and do not create sufficient jobs or taxes to justify the incentives that states pay.

“Data centres in space looking pretty appealing right now,” Musk said on social media after the election.

“Guess my election-interfering space lasers didn’t work this time.”

In Georgia, where commercial real estate services and investment firm CBRE says Atlanta is the most active data-centre construction market in the country, Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms won the gubernatorial contest, ending more than two decades of Republican control.

The AI trade

AI has been a dominant theme this year in financial markets, driving stocks higher on bets on chip demand while pushing up bond yields as the data centre construction boom boosts economic growth.

Chip and AI firms like TSMC 2330.TW, Samsung Electronics 005930.KS, SK Hynix 000660.KS and Kioxia 285A.T fell in Asia — along with bond yields — on Wednesday.

“The Democrats will likely push for greater regulation,” said Nick Ferres, chief investment officer of Vantage Point Asset Management, a fund manager in Singapore.

“The two key risks ... have been the return on investment and the financing of the boom. Both have likely become more challenging now.”

To be sure, many analysts said a slowdown in data centre construction in the US did not necessarily signal a change in demand for AI or computing power, and some view a roughly 8% drawdown in the Nasdaq.IXIC over the past month as an opportunity to buy.

Still, Ilan Benhamou on JP Morgan’s equity sales desk in New York called the Texas race “the only thing that matters” in a pre-election note to clients, and investors are taking it as a wake-up call.

“Companies do have to have the social license to operate, and I think the current AI providers really have a PR crisis on their hands right now,” said Katie Koch, chief executive of asset manager TCW, at a Hong Kong financial summit.

“They need to define what the social utility is going to be of AI and data centres to Americans, and so far they’ve been failing to do that.”

Reuters

Special voting took place on Monday and Tuesday, with the IEC saying more than 1.4-million voters had cast their ballots.

Stream courtesy of SABC.

TimesLIVE

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Young voters have called for more job opportunities and safer communities, saying casting their ballots gave them a sense of hope and a chance to shape the future of their city.

A relieved 24-year-old Puseletso Mafuma said voting for the first time made her feel that her voice mattered.

Speaking to Sowetan after casting her ballot in Temba, Hammanskraal, Mafuma said the process had been smooth and that she was grateful to finally have a say in choosing the city’s leadership.

“I feel relieved that finally, I get to choose which party rules. It feels like I have a say, you know. It feels like my voice is finally getting heard,” she said.

“Having to make that cross on the ballot paper makes me feel like I am part of the fight [for a better life].”

Mafuma said she hoped the party she voted for would prioritise tackling unemployment, particularly among young graduates struggling to secure their first jobs.

“I feel like I have represented a lot of young people, especially through the decision I made,” she said.

“The party should deal with unemployment and provide more entry-level jobs because there are a lot of graduates who cannot find employment because companies are looking for people with experience.”

For first-time voter Omphile Ndlovu, 20, the experience was equally smooth, with little time spent at the voting station.

“I hope my vote will contribute to a government that will ensure the crime rate drops and also create job opportunities,” she said.

Sowetan

Electoral Commission (IEC) rules require people to vote at the station where they are registered. In local elections, that means the ward in which they live. Ramaphosa lives in Ward 90, which includes Hyde Park, Parkmore, Illovo, Sandhurst and several other suburbs. Former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe also live in the area.

The ward is not friendly ground for the governing ANC. The DA won a recent special election there with 97% of the vote, up from 64% the last time the seat was contested. The president therefore voted in a ward where his party has little support.

President Ramaphosa has voted Hyde Park this morning where he resides https://t.co/64EBKSB4kZ

— Thando Maeko (@HelloThando) November 4, 2026

“The change in the IEC rules where they said you must vote where you live … so I did abide by those rules … There is always a tussle on where I should vote either in Hyde Park or in Soweto where I grew up and buried my parents,” he said shortly following the vote.

Before the poll, Ramaphosa urged registered voters to take part. He said their votes could help build better communities and strengthen local government. He pointed to the services municipalities provide, including water, sanitation and electricity. Complaints about those services, along with disputed billing, have dominated local politics in Johannesburg and other big cities.

Parties held their final rallies over the weekend, appealing to loyal supporters and undecided voters. The ANC held a rally in the Eastern Cape on Sunday. It faces the DA, the EFF and the MK Party, led by former president Jacob Zuma.

The ANC has been losing ground for a decade. In the 2021 local elections, it fell below 50% nationally for the first time since the end of apartheid. In the 2024 general election, it lost its parliamentary majority and entered a government of national unity that includes the DA. Several large metros, Johannesburg among them, have been run by coalitions for years, and those arrangements have often been unstable.

Wednesday’s vote is the first nationwide test of voter sentiment since that 2024 result. A weak showing for the ANC in the major metros would add pressure on the party as it manages a national-level coalition. A stronger result would ease some of that pressure.

Business Day

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A Kwazulu-Natal police officer posted at a voting station for the 2026 local government elections allegedly arrived there in a vehicle that was branded with posters of a political party.

The political party has not been mentioned, but spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda said the officer was posted at a voting station at Mphithini area in Donnybrook.

He said the officer has been precautionarily removed from election duty with the possibility of internal disciplinary processes being instituted to investigate her conduct.

“Information available at this stage is that the police sergeant arrived at a voting station in a vehicle that was branded with posters of a political party,” he said.

Voting at the station continued seamlessly after her removal, said Netshiunda.

The acting provincial commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal, Maj-Gen Phumelele Makoba condemned the conduct of the officer, saying no unprofessional conduct by the South African Police Service (SAPS) would be tolerated.

“We reminded our officers of their responsibilities and how they must conduct themselves. Apart from internal disciplinary steps, we shall investigate contravention of any applicable act so that we investigate the matter holistically and open criminal proceedings if investigations direct us to do so,” Makoba said.

In separate early-morning incidents, a suspect was arrested for assaulting police officers at a voting station in Umlazi on Wednesday morning. The suspect reportedly arrived at a voting station at M Section in Umlazi, drinking and seemingly under the influence of alcohol, and assaulted police officers who confronted him about his behaviour.

The suspect was arrested for assault, and other charges relating to contraventions of the Electoral Act might be added, police said.

Three K9 police officers sustained minor injuries when the vehicle in which they were driving to a voting station collided with two cattle in the Ibisi policing precinct. The officers have been discharged from hospital and were declared fit to proceed with their duties.

Sowetan

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Buffalo City metropolitan municipality mayor Princess Faku was forced to join the queue like other voters after residents at a voting station in Gonubie refused to allow her to skip the line.

The incident was captured in a video by the Daily Dispatch, which has since gone viral on social media, showing an IEC official asking residents whether Faku should be allowed to bypass the queue.

“The executive mayor is here. I can’t just let the mayor through. I have to ask the people who are here, do you give me permission to let her vote?” the official asked.

However, residents were not having it, with one voter heard saying: “Seven o’clock when it opened she should have been here.”

Another resident responded: “No, ufana nathi namhlanje,” meaning she is like everyone else today.

Other voters agreed, raising their hands to indicate that the mayor should not be allowed to jump the queue.

According to Mdantsane FM, Faku was scheduled to cast her vote at 8am on Wednesday. Her team reportedly requested that she be allowed to bypass the queue but the IEC presiding officer and the mayor opted against the request.

The presiding officer reportedly told Faku that if she wanted to vote early, she should have made use of the two days allocated for special voting.

Faku assented and joined the queue, waiting to cast her ballot alongside other residents.

She was seen walking out of the venue an hour later.

The incident has sparked conversation on social media about equality at voting stations and whether public officials should receive preferential treatment when exercising their democratic right.

TimesLIVE

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Helen Zille said should she be elected mayor of Johannesburg, her immediate priority would be addressing the water challenges confronting South Africa’s economic and financial heartland.

She said Joburg was a great city worth fighting for, adding that should she be voted in as the next mayor during the municipal elections on Wednesday, she would “mobilise resources” on an emergency basis to address the water crisis in the short term.

Water challenges left parts of the city without supplies due to increased demands as a result of the hot weather. In May persistent water challenges in the Joburg metro and other municipalities spurred President Cyril Ramaphosa to establish the national water crisis committee to co-ordinate government efforts in addressing water scarcity.

Ramaphosa said at the time the government had prioritised measures to address the water crisis affecting many municipalities across the country.

I have run a city before, I know this

DA Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille

Zille, former mayor of Cape Town, cast her vote at Emmarentia Primary School in Randburg on Wednesday. She arrived at 9.30am and was mobbed by journalists and well-wishers, including former DA Joburg mayor Mpho Phalatse.

“I have run a city before; I know this,” Zille said when asked about her experience in the local government sector. She was optimistic the DA could “push over 50%” in electoral outcomes in the Joburg metro.

“We hope to get the basic services working. We don’t promise miracles above that because the job of local government is to get basic services working, and not to make everybody millionaires. Our job is to deliver water, electricity, possible roads, all those things. That is our job and we will do the job,” Zille said.

“In the end, it’s over to voters. The voters must decide whether they want to rescue their city or not.”

In January the ANC declared 2026 a year of decisive action to fix local government and transform the economy, with the government of national unity (GNU) having set aside R54bn for service delivery, especially for fixing water and electricity infrastructure across the eight metros.

The beleaguered local government sector is dogged by malfeasance and fiscal challenges in which billions have been wasted on fruitless, wasteful and unauthorised expenditure annually, affecting the delivery of basic services such as potable water, electricity, clinics and refuse collection.

Local government’s worsening state has spurred the government to focus the second phase of Operation Vulindlela on fixing councils. Vulindlela is a joint initiative of the National Treasury and Presidency created in 2020.

Business Day

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Golden Arrows coach Mandla Ncikazi has responded about the alleged fallout with Orlando Pirates coach Abdeslam Ouaddou during their stay at the Buccaneers.

Ncikazi recently joined Arrows, and his exit from the Buccaneers was clouded by speculation of an internal rift with Ouaddou. While Ouaddou said their relationship was good, Ncikazi emphasised professional integrity and discretion.

“As a man of my age, you don’t talk ill about your former employer because you offend them,” Ncikazi told the media after their 1-0 defeat to Mamelodi Sundowns in the Carling Knockout match at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Tuesday.

“Equally, when I start talking about my former employer, I’m offending my current employer. Every house has a toilet.

“As a man, you don’t have a responsibility to tell every family member there’s challenges in your family. Even if there was a problem, you are not going to know because I’m a man. I have a responsibility to protect the environment I work for.

“In every club where I’ve worked, there are issues. But I don’t have a responsibility to publicly tell. As a coach, you are a CEO of the company. Protect the environment. I’ve got no comment. I’ve got no issues to answer.”

After the defeat to Sundowns, Ncikazi pointed to key areas his side needs to work on, expressing disappointment with his team’s output going forward, highlighting that they struggled with the final pass and final decision.

“We will try to make the team better. We got into the areas we wanted to get into, but I’m disappointed in that part where there was one missing link.

“I don’t think we will win games if we don’t make decisions in that final area. But I’m not disappointed with the effort from the boys. They work very hard and there is something to work on and congratulations to Sundowns.”

Sowetan

In a decisive judgment, the court set aside Kgetlengrivier municipality’s appointment of Magalies Water, finding the decision was irrational and the municipality had failed to explain why an entity it had declared incompetent was suddenly considered fit to rescue its water and sanitation services.

The court ruled in favour of Kgetlengrivier Concerned Citizens (KCC), setting aside the appointment of Magalies Water to manage the municipality’s water and sanitation services.

The judgment, delivered on November 2, is a significant victory for the community around the Koster and Elands rivers.

The SCA overturned an earlier North West High Court ruling that had dismissed the residents’ application to review the appointment.

Acting judge of appeal Gloria Mjali, writing for the first judgment, found the municipality had failed to demonstrate why Magalies Water was considered suitable for the job, despite having previously terminated its contract over poor performance.

Without a valid agreement, the appointment had never been completed

On January 5 2021, the municipality had stated under oath that Magalies Water had failed to perform and a different service provider would be appointed.

Mjali said the municipality had ignored glaring evidence of the utility’s previous failures. “Nothing points to the capacity and suitability of Magalies Water,” the judge said.

The court found the municipality had failed to produce a valid operations and maintenance agreement to support the appointment. The agreement it relied on was dated May 27 2020, months before the previous contract was terminated.

The appointment letter itself made the appointment conditional on the conclusion of an operations and maintenance agreement. Without a valid agreement, the appointment had never been completed.

The court also criticised the municipality for failing to provide a complete record explaining how and why Magalies Water was selected.

Mjali held that the failure to consider the utility’s previous poor performance undermined the entire decision-making process. “The municipality’s failure to consider that evidence of incompetency renders the whole process irrational,” the judge said.

The judgment also delivered an important message about public interest litigation, rejecting the high court’s decision to burden the community organisation with legal costs.

The residents had repeatedly approached the courts to compel the municipality to fulfil its constitutional obligations, after years of inadequate water and sanitation services.

The municipality must still be able to show, on a record, why it chose the organ of state it did, what it agreed to pay and on what terms, and how the expenditure was to be funded and accounted for

Judge of appeal Elias Matojane

Mjali said there was no suggestion the litigation was frivolous. “On the contrary, the facts have proven litigation has been the only manner of getting some attention from the municipality.”

The court found the high court had failed to apply the Biowatch principle, which protects public interest litigants who approach the courts to enforce constitutional rights.

In a separate judgment, judge of appeal Elias Matojane went further, addressing whether municipalities can bypass constitutional procurement requirements when appointing another organ of state during an emergency.

His answer was unequivocal, saying emergency circumstances do not give municipalities a free pass to ignore the constitution.

He pointed to section 217 which requires public procurement to be fair, equitable, transparent, competitive and cost-effective. Matojane said even when a municipality directly appoints another state entity, transparency and cost-effectiveness remain essential.

“The municipality must still be able to show, on a record, why it chose the organ of state it did, what it agreed to pay and on what terms, and how the expenditure was to be funded and accounted for,” he said.

The judge also rejected the suggestion that the involvement of another organ of state automatically removes the municipality’s financial accountability.

The appointment involved a projected cost of R37.5m, yet there was no evidence of an approved budget, an adjustments budget or the necessary authorisation and reporting to council, the court found.

Sowetan

Iqraam Rayners scored the only goal in the second half to send Sundowns through to the last four, and Cardoso expressed complete satisfaction with how focused and stable the players remained throughout the match.

“What was interesting to see is that the team didn’t escape from the plan, they were focused enough to keep on playing,” Cardoso told the media during the post-match press conference.

“I think the team was very loyal to the plan and that was very important for the coach. We were very solid and committed and I’m happy to be in the semifinal of the competition.”

Cardoso also gave an update on the injured pair of Ronwen Williams and Teboho Mokoena ahead of Sunday’s Caf Super Cup final against USM Alger.

Mokoena has missed four consecutive matches, while Williams missed three successive games.

“Look, we cannot risk the health of a player. Our role here is to protect the players and the health of the players,” he said.

“Let’s see how things will progress. Obviously, we would like to have them ready for the biggest matches. I think that we have, obviously, in the team players who are doing well in those positions, whom we trust. We had a big setback with Teboho, as you understood publicly. He didn’t come in, not even close to being in good condition, when he returned from the national team; he came back injured.

“It was very important that we could play him in that final of the MTN8. But then there was an unfortunate moment when he was standing on one leg. He had contact, and of course there was a small thing there on the leg, but it’s the second time, the same leg, same thing.

“Let’s see. A lot of work has been done on him. Williams is a similar process, so it’s not a big injury, it’s more a pathology. He has also been struggling, and we are doing our best to have him in proper condition.

“We need to protect these players, so I think that with a little bit of time everything will be okay.”

Sowetan

The pill, launched in the US in January, brought in 5.39-billion Danish crowns (about $810m or R13.46bn). That was up 53% on the second quarter and above the 4.62-billion consensus. The US accounted for 4.18-billion crowns, and international markets 1.22-billion. Novo said US prescriptions hit about 3.6-million in the quarter and more than 8-million since launch.

Novo also raised its 2026 adjusted sales and adjusted operating profit forecast to a range of between +2% and -2% at constant exchange rates, from a previous forecast of a 0% to 6% fall. It was the third time the company raised its full-year guidance.

The company said the improvement was driven by higher expectations for GLP-1 sales in both the US and international markets.

Lilly also raised its outlook last week after beating profit estimates on booming demand for its injectable weight-loss drugs.

Pill seen as growth driver

Novo’s pill makes up only about 6% of expected sales, but analysts see it as Novo’s main route back to growth, after a two-year slump of profit warnings and a leadership change. US sales of injectable Wegovy fell 13% at constant exchange rates, although combined US Wegovy sales rose 21%.

Novo, which at one point became Europe’s most valuable listed company on booming Wegovy sales, is also trying to narrow a gap to Lilly, whose rival Foundayo pill is winning a growing share of new prescriptions.

Adjusted operating profit was 31.72-billion Danish crowns, above the 28.39-billion projected by analysts and up 27% at constant exchange rates from a year earlier. Adjusted sales were 79.20-billion crowns against 73.22-billion expected.

“Growth was led by our obesity portfolio, with continued uptake of Wegovy pill in the US and encouraging early launches internationally,” CEO Mike Doustdar said in a statement.

Reuters

The municipality has been plagued by service delivery challenges such as open sewage, pothole-riddled roads and uncollected rubbish.

In Sebokeng Hostel 2, residents pointed out the potholes, illegal dumping and raw, running sewage.

A 27-year-old resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said she hoped the party she voted for would bring a different approach to the municipality’s challenges. The woman said she had voted in 2021 but had yet to see meaningful improvements in her area.

“I believe the party I voted for today will definitely bring change because ever since I voted in 2021, nothing has changed. It is dirty and there are sewage problems.”

Sewage around the voting station has reportedly been running for an extended period, while illegal dumping along the roadside near the voting station has left the area dirty and filled with an unpleasant smell.

“None of parties have kept their promises when it comes to dealing with this stuff, and unemployment,” the woman said.

Residents from Bophelong and Sebokeng said they hoped their cries regarding the lack of service delivery would be addressed by the incoming government.

At Bophelong Primary School, residents queueing outside the voting station said they wanted to see improvements in their communities, particularly in the provision of water, electricity and opportunities for young people.

Ntsoaki Motaung, 38, who lives in an informal settlement, said she was voting in the hope of seeing change in her community, where residents continued to struggle with unemployment and a lack of basic services.

“Today I came to the voting station because we have burning issues of unemployment. As residents, we are looking for change. Our shacks do not have water or electricity. I believe my vote today is going to bring a lot of change,” she said.

Lebohang Molwedi, who was born in 1994, said she had voted in the hope of creating a better future for the next generation.

She said residents continued to grapple with poor service delivery, unemployment, drug abuse and crime, adding that many young people who once had aspirations were now roaming the streets without opportunities.

“It has been 32 years and there are a lot of things that need to change. Technology is changing, things are changing, and I feel the community also needs change so that we can build a better future for the next generation,” she said.

Sowetan

The recall affects 1,896 vehicles sold between 2021 and 2025.

According to the supplier, the affected vehicles are fitted with an Electric Hydraulic Power Steering Pump (EHPS), which may have an electrical connection susceptible to high resistance. This could result in a warning indicating the loss of power steering assistance or a “Service Power Steering”.

In certain circumstances, high-resistance electrical activity may take place in the area of the EHPS connection, causing overheating of combustible materials, which may potentially lead to a fire.

The NCC has urged consumers to take their vehicles to the nearest authorised Jeep dealership for inspection and the necessary repairs, which will be carried out at no cost. Consumers can also check whether their vehicles are affected by using the VIN check facility on the Jeep website.

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South Africa recorded its highest monthly new vehicle sales total of the year in October, with 61,890 vehicles sold.

This was despite October being the first full month after September’s interest rate increase. Higher fuel costs also failed to put a dampener on sales.

According to figures from industry body Naamsa, sales were 10.4% higher than in October 2025. Sales for the first 10 months of 2026 totalled 554,081 vehicles, an increase of 12.3% from 493,427 a year earlier, leaving the market on course to finish the year well ahead of last year’s performance.

The purchases are unfolding against a challenging household cost environment. Two interest rate increases this year have taken the prime lending rate to 10.75%, while fuel prices have surged to record-high levels, driven largely by international oil market shocks and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

“Customers are still making careful decisions about what they can afford, and a stronger overall sales figure does not mean pressure on household budgets has eased,” said Brandon Cohen, chairperson of the National Automobile Dealers’ Association (Nada).

Last month’s growth was driven mostly by passenger car sales, which reached 45,084 units, a 13.6% increase over October 2025. The car rental industry accounted for 21.4% of the sales.

Rental purchases reflect different needs from those of a family replacing its car or a small business buying a bakkie. For retailers, understanding who is buying is as important as knowing how many vehicles have been sold

Brandon Cohen, National Automobile Dealers’ Association chair

Light commercial vehicle sales, including bakkies and minibuses, increased by 2.2% to 13,689 units. Medium commercial truck sales rose 0.9% to 770 units, while heavy truck and bus sales increased by 8.1% to 2,347 units.

Dealerships accounted for an estimated 78% of October’s sales, compared with 81.4% reported in September. Rental companies’ share increased from 13.8% to 16.5% of all sales.

“Rental purchases were an important part of October’s sales result as we approach the year-end travel period,” said Cohen.

“These purchases reflect different needs from those of a family replacing its car or a small business buying a bakkie. For retailers, understanding who is buying is as important as knowing how many vehicles have been sold.”

Rising fuel bills are also encouraging more hybrid and electric vehicle sales. Cumulative sales of new energy vehicles (NEVs), which include hybrids, plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles, reached 22,389 units in the first nine months of the year, already 34% above the full-year 2025 total. Plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles now account for just over half of thesales, with traditional hybrids making up the rest.

Toyota retained its dominant market leadership in October with 14,495 domestic sales. In second place was Suzuki Auto, which set a new monthly sales record of 7,292 units, surpassing its previous record of 6,890 units set in October 2025. In third was Volkswagen (6,515), followed by Ford (3,353), Hyundai (3,207), GWM (2,919), Chery (2,754), Kia (2,233), Isuzu (2,123) and Jetour (2,102) rounding out the top 10.

Best-selling vehicles in October

1. Toyota Hilux — 3,820;
2. VW Polo Vivo — 2,580;
3. Ford Ranger — 2,381;
4. Suzuki Swift — 2,344;
5. Chery Tiggo 4 Cross — 1,924;
6. Toyota Corolla Cross — 1,723;
7. Isuzu D-Max — 1,644;
8. Toyota Starlet Cross — 1,611;
9. Hyundai Grand i10 — 1,430;
10. Haval Jolion — 1,343;
11. Kia Sonet — 1,317;
12. Suzuki Ertiga — 1,234;
13. Suzuki Fronx — 1,118;
14. Toyota Vitz — 1,091;
15. Toyota Starlet — 1,081;
16. VW Polo — 991;
17. Toyota Urban Cruiser — 939;
18. Toyota Fortuner — 894;
19. Toyota Rumion — 777;
20. Jetour T2 — 753;
21. VW T-Cross — 739;
22. Omoda C5 — 726;
23. GWM P-Series — 666;
24. Jetour Dashing — 646;
25. Tata Tiago — 645;
26. Mahindra XUV 3XO — 615;
27. Toyota Hiace — 600;
28. VW Polo Sedan — 563;
29. Suzuki Baleno — 556;
30. Renault Triber — 551.

• Source: Lightstone/Naamsa

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It is charming but also unfamiliar hearing words like “Gusheshe” and “Kyalami” emerge from the lips of German BMW executives.

Such is the far-reaching impact of South African car culture: the Munich heads know all about the vaunted E30 325iS and 333i, as well as the fanfare surrounding the M Fest event.

We are an important market for BMW, with the Rosslyn plant being the first facility to produce its cars outside of Germany, opening its doors more than five decades ago.

And the 3 Series is an integral part of the story. Rosslyn produced the sedan from the E30 generation all the way to the F30, whose run ended in 2018. The subsequent G20 3 Series became a full import, as plant Rosslyn gained a new mainstay in the form of the G01 X3. It currently produces the G45 chassis of the X3.

Globally, more than 18-million units of the 3 Series have been sold since the first one rolled off the line in Munich in 1975.

Beyond the inherent goodwill and nostalgia for the 3 Series breed in its entirety, local market trends have seen a shift towards crossover and sport-utility vehicle body styles. The Bavarian firm has those segments covered, right from the junior X1 upwards. So who is the target market for the latest 3 Series, donning the internal designation of G50?

That was a point mused in the Marseille region of France last week, as we were one of two South African publications invited to test the eighth-generation car. It will be coming to South Africa in 2027. Allow me to the end to take a crack at the answer.

It is inevitable that the latest version of any well-established, iconic breed would attract cautious sentiments from fans and divided opinions. Agreeing on which model from the lineage is the best sparks vehement debate, but most will concur on the attributes that make a 3 Series, a 3 Series.

The brief was quite simple with generation eight. Translate those coveted values through the Neue Klasse lens.

In case you missed it, Neue Klasse refers to the “new class” BMW product portfolio. The iX3, which launched in the country two months ago, was the first from this latest family of vehicles. It is completely different from any BMW before, not just in design language, but also in operating system and platform. From the steering wheel to the display screens, it is entirely new.

“New class” is a piece of terminology revived from yesteryear, first used in the ’60s, applied to the offerings the brand launched as it sought to revive its fortunes in the post-war era.

Right, so onto the 2027 G50 — but note that the electric version, the i3, wears a different code (NA0).

We heard a keynote from Dr Mike Reichelt, head of the Neue Klasse programme, who excitedly spoke about his first 3 Series ownership experience, with the E46.

“The 3 Series must always be the sports sedan in the segment — confident, precise, comfortable and emotionally engaging,” he said.

We need to start with the appearance of the car, which Reichelt described as “monolithic, bold and sporty”.

Those who have been following the BMW story over the past few years will instantly recognise the overall template being derived from the 2023 Vision Neue Klasse.

The typical BMW dials are there, from the Hofmeister kink, to the lean-forward, shark-like stance. Although it retains the signature kidney grille elements, those are less grille-like in function and more to honour aesthetic tradition, as they are sealed and not slatted.

Dimensions-wise, the numbers are slightly larger.

The G20 is 4,709mm long, 1,827mm wide and 1,435mm tall. The G50 is longer (4,765mm), wider (1,850mm) and taller, at 1,455mm.

Despite growing in these measures, it comes across as more athletic and compact in the metal. Charge that to the tauter, simpler lines, with fit proportions and the appearance of bodywork stretched tightly over the wheelbase, without superfluous kinks or bulges. Like many vehicles of our time, its door handles are concealed and extend upon entry.

It is a radical departure from the G20, in the same way the shapely ’90s E36 might have struck alternative different chords compared to the boxy E30 of the ’80s.

Getting inside, the Neue Klasse cabin design and BMW Operating System X are not as daunting as they might have been at first interaction with the iX3.

The large 17.9-inch main display is angled ever so noticeably towards the steering wheel, following the tradition of driver-centric 3 Series interiors since the original.

Four specialised “superbrain” high-performance computers are on-board, tasked with different functions. The level of digitisation on offer is staggering, from the buffet of applications on offer, to the (customisable) breadth of information served by the Panoramic Vision display.

But there are more familiar 3 Series touchpoints, from the chunky steering wheel to the snug seats.

Under the skin, there are two types of chassis architectures. For internal combustion engine (ICE) derivatives, BMW deploys a heavily revised iteration of the Cluster Architecture (CLAR) that debuted with the G20. But the i3 model uses the Neue Klasse electric underpinnings with its flat, high-voltage skateboard battery claiming a low centre of gravity. The cars are built in different plants: the ICE 3 Series at Dingolfing and the i3 in Munich.

The average person may not be able to distinguish between the two. Their differences are subtle. For instance, the boot in the i3 is 420l, slightly larger at 450l in the ICE vehicle. And the i3 also seemed to have a slightly higher seating position (because of the battery sandwiched below).

We hopped into the i3 first, offered in 40 xDrive and 50 xDrive guises. Our tester was the latter, using two electric motors (one front; one rear); for all-wheel drive traction. Total output is 345kW/645Nm; figures that were once-upon-a-time the preserve of potent brutes from the Motorsport division. The lithium-ion battery has a net capacity of 108.7kWh and the claimed range is as high as 912km (WLTP).

But perhaps not if you are partial to consistent testing of the quoted 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.7 seconds.

The i3 50 xDrive hustles off the mark rapidly, with a conviction that implied it would maintain its urgency well beyond the indicated 130km/h limit in sections of French freeways. We did not want to incur the wrath of the National Gendarmerie, so we kept pace sensible.

It was on those narrow, curvy countryside roads the handling abilities of the i3 cemented impressions. BMW claimed it had strived to achieve a more cohesive integration of the electric power sources and mechanical chassis elements.

This makes for a fluid drive, a car that handles adeptly with virtually no drama to speak of: rarely instances of grip loss or tyre squeal. Just quick, confident momentum, with a light but precise tiller that dutifully relays your inputs accurately.

They have given it an interesting acoustic note too, and apparently the intention was not to emulate that of an ICE motor. The sound has a buzzy quality to it, mixed in with those futuristic drones one would associate with a spaceship whizzing into a vortex.

It might not be everyone’s favourite brew, but the traditional six-cylinder din of the M350 xDrive is likely to have wider appeal in South Africa.

“Have you made it quieter?” was the question posed to one of the technical executives at dinner the night before driving the car. “The sound is present,” was his polite response.

Firing the car up in M Sport Plus mode with its exhaust valves fully open, on a crisp autumnal morning, you could easily tell what “present” meant. No, the B58-engined BMW has not gone quietly into the night.

While the i3 offered a taste of the more civilised side associated with the 3 Series, the M350 xDrive is the instrument that better shows off its fun streak.

Chassis revisions of the ICE platform, versus the G20 equivalent, include wider tracks front and rear, a longer wheelbase, sharper steering ratio and enhanced braking system.

Both the i3 and ICE 3 Series use a double-joint spring strut front axle, with a five-link rear axle. Body-roll is said to be further suppressed by anti-roll bar mounts, bolstered by stiffer chassis mounts.

Of course, being fettled by the M-division, the M350 carries a more bespoke chassis package over and above the garden variety 3 Series iterations.

Adaptive suspension, variable sport steering and a differential all from the M Sport catalogue turns it into an “M3 lite” — as was the case with its forebear, the M340i.

As expected, it looks suitably meaner, sporting standard 19-inch alloys (20-inchers optional); model-specific side mirrors (with fins on the outer edges); wider air intakes and quad tailpipes.

The powertrain is hybridised, with a 48-volt mild hybrid system complementing the 2,998cc turbocharged engine. Total outputs are 326kW/580Nm, with transmission handled by an eight-speed Steptronic as before.

Within a few moments of taking the helm, the M350 xDrive makes its sportier character over the more relaxed i3 very clear.

Sampling the acceleration flexibility on the freeway, the torque-rich punch of the motor lives up to expectations we already had, with many experiences testing cars powered by this unit.

The more “present” acoustics are rich and addictive, encouraging frequent downshifting to keep the volume up.

Claimed 0-100km/h sprint time is 4.1 seconds, par for the course in this arena, but it is when the road begins to twist that the M350 really enters its stride.

The xDrive system has a rear bias, so it is less prone to running wide, something appreciated on those extremely narrow French passes.

It was with the G20 M340i that this 3 Series derivative went the all-wheel-drive route. Purists who loved the drift-happy nature of the rear-driven F30 340i bemoaned the change and might have criticised the successor for its all-wheel drive predictability.

This G50 aims to be a more emotive steer, with a stronger leaning towards the playful side, but at the same time, controllable and accessible to a wider audience. Now if that all sounds too diplomatic for your tastes, there is the prospect of a “Drift Moment” function in 2027.

The function was not available on our test cars. It will be offered to customers via over-the-air update, allowing for 100% of the vehicle’s power to be sent to the rear axle.

Now onto the regular derivatives on offer. Diesel has been given the cut, so gone are nameplates like 320d. The entry-point will be the petrol-powered 320, using a 2.0l unit, delivering 115kW/330Nm and a claimed 0-100km/h sprint time of 7.4 seconds. It also features a 48-volt mild hybrid system.

So to answer the question posed earlier in the story about the intended new 3 Series buyer.

Practically speaking, South African shoppers in the premium market are likely to continue seeing strong appeal and value in vehicles like the X1 and X3.

The G50 is going to resonate with a more traditional BMW fan, who appreciates the sleeker appearance and more dynamic on-road character of a classic saloon format.

Although times have changed, it remains the quintessential BMW, now modernised for a new world.

• Sales begin in Q2 2027, local pricing has not been confirmed

That is an opportunity. It is not a cheque handed to every applicant, and it is certainly not a business plan.

The real test is what happens after the first investment. Does the owner end up with a better-paying job that still requires their presence every day? Or have we helped create a business that can employ a manager, train new people and eventually open somewhere else?

I have spent more than two decades helping businesses expand across 23 countries. One lesson stands out: a business that works because its founder is everywhere is very different from a business that works because its people know what to do.

Think of a mechanic in Alexandra with customers queuing for repairs. The owner knows every engine, quotes every job, buys every part and settles every complaint. A larger workshop might help. New equipment might increase capacity.

But opening a second workshop would expose the weakness immediately. Who diagnoses the fault when the founder is at the other site? Who checks the work? Who decides what a fair quote looks like?

If the business cannot operate for a week without the founder, opening another branch is probably premature

The same question applies to a bakery in Soweto, a car wash in Tembisa or a shisanyama in Polokwane. The first branch may be excellent. The second needs more than an excellent founder.

This is where I think South Africa is missing an opportunity. We talk endlessly about funding entrepreneurs to start or expand. We spend far less time discussing how to make their businesses teachable and repeatable.

That work is surprisingly ordinary. Record what each product or service costs to deliver. Write down how staff are trained. Set standards for quality and complaints.

Keep stock and cash controls that another person can follow. Give a capable employee a chance to manage while the owner is away, and see what breaks.

If the business cannot operate for a week without the founder, opening another branch is probably premature.

Franchising is one possible route once those foundations are proven. It lets another local owner operate a business using tested systems, training and ongoing support.

It can also go badly wrong if the original business has weak margins, unrealistic promises or poor support. A franchise fee does not repair a broken business model.

If South Africa wants more home-grown brands, we must help founders build businesses that can outgrow them

Nor should every township entrepreneur be pushed into franchising. Some will be better off opening their own second branch. Others may build a network of independent suppliers or choose to remain a strong single-location employer. The point is to make growth a deliberate choice, backed by evidence.

Sowetan recently reported on the Alexandra Automotive Hub and its 17 workshop rental spaces. That is useful infrastructure.

But imagine pairing spaces like these with practical training in pricing, operations, supervision and financial controls so that an excellent workshop can develop another excellent workshop without relying on one person to hold everything together.

That is the kind of support I would like to see measured alongside funding. Not simply how much money was approved, or how many entrepreneurs attended a workshop.

How many businesses improved their margins? How many trained a manager? How many created lasting jobs? How many were able to expand responsibly?

The new R3m ceiling is welcome. But if South Africa wants more home-grown brands, we must help founders build businesses that can outgrow them.

• Goldsmith is the founder of Franchise My Business

Sowetan

El-Sayed’s victory in the closely contested election marked a breakthrough for the Democratic Party’s progressive wing and denied Republicans a chance to flip the seat of retiring Democratic Senator Gary Peters.

El-Sayed, 42, a former public health official, focused on lowering costs for working families and reducing corporate influence in politics. His platform included Medicare for All, a government-funded universal healthcare programme championed by progressives in his party.

Republicans held a 53-47 Senate majority going into Tuesday’s midterm elections, with Democrats needing a net gain of four seats to take control.

His opponent Mike Rogers, 63, a former congressman and FBI agent, entered the race with strong backing from Trump and national Republicans and had sought to cast El-Sayed as a radical candidate sympathetic to Islamic extremism through alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, claims that El-Sayed denies and that remain unsupported by evidence. Democrats said the attacks on El-Sayed relied on Islamophobic tropes.

Rogers also devoted significant effort to courting Jewish voters who may have been uneasy with El-Sayed’s opposition to US military aid for Israel and his characterisation of Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide.

But Rogers struggled to overcome voter concerns about the economy and Trump’s low ratings. In the closing weeks of the race, he broke with the president on the war in Iran and the US trade dispute with Canada, arguing that ending both was necessary to help bring down costs for businesses and consumers.

Reuters

Brent futures rose 76 cents, or 0.7%, to $104.36 a barrel. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 63 cents, or 0.7%, to $96.72, reversing earlier declines.

In the previous session, Brent settled at its lowest level in nearly four weeks as traders weighed talks to end the wars in Ukraine and Iran.

Vote counting was under way in the US midterm elections, with Democrats snaring majorities in both chambers for the rest of Trump’s second term.

“President Trump’s conflicting signals, with military strikes continuing alongside statements downplaying further escalation, have made it difficult for traders to build strong directional conviction,” said Priyanka Sachdeva, head of market insights at Phillip Nova.

“I believe some profit-taking and reduction in speculative long positions are justified, particularly after the sharp rally in October.

Markets remained on watch for any progress in talks to end the US-Israeli war with Iran, as Qatar stepped up mediation efforts to avert an escalation of attacks after the US elections

“However, the underlying supply disruption risks around the Strait of Hormuz have not disappeared. An unexpected drawdown in US crude inventories is also offering some fundamental support.”

The US had carried out “defensive” strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island targeting surface-to-air missiles used against US assets, a US official said on Tuesday. Another official said the strikes appeared limited and did not signal a return to major combat operations.

Markets remained on watch for any progress in talks to end the US-Israeli war with Iran, as Qatar stepped up mediation efforts to avert an escalation of attacks after the US elections.

A senior Iranian official on Tuesday said Iran and the US remained far from a deal to end their war.

Meanwhile, crude stocks fell by 5.27-million barrels in the week ended October 30, market sources said on Wednesday, citing data from the American Petroleum Institute.

Gasoline stocks rose by 1.43-million barrels, while distillate inventories fell by 1.19-million barrels from a week earlier, sources said.

“Diesel inventories remain tight, while gasoline stocks rose more than expected. The data are broadly supportive of oil prices,” Haitong Futures said in a note on Wednesday.

Reuters

Story audio is generated using AI

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has reminded political parties and municipal councillors of the legal regulations surrounding campaigning as the country heads to the polls today.

Voting stations opened nationwide at 7am and are scheduled to close at 9pm.

According to the IEC, voting has commenced smoothly across the country, with all stations successfully opening and no major glitches reported.

Briefing the media at the national results operations centre (ROC) on Wednesday, IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya outlined the key dos and don’ts for election day.

Prohibited conduct at voting stations

The IEC highlighted key restrictions within the demarcated boundaries of voting stations:

• All active campaigning inside voting station boundaries is strictly prohibited;
• The display or distribution of any political billboards, posters, placards or pamphlets is prohibited within station grounds;
• Attempts to induce, influence or persuade voters to support or refrain from supporting a specific party or candidate are strictly forbidden; and
• Any attempt to persuade or prevent individuals from casting their vote is prohibited.

What is allowed on voting day

Moepya emphasised that the only permissible political activity within the boundaries of a voting station is the casting of ballots.

Clarifying the rules on campaigning outside voting station grounds, Moepya said South African law does not impose a total ban on political activity on election day.

• There is no wholesale prohibition of political activities on voting day, provided they do not take place within the demarcated boundary of a voting station.
• Political activity may occur outside these boundaries, though organised political meetings, marches, demonstrations or public events remain prohibited everywhere.

“The law does not enforce campaign silence on election day. However, any person who contravenes the legal framework will be guilty of an offence and, on conviction, liable to a fine or imprisonment for up to five years,” Moepya said.

The commission urged all political parties, candidates and voters to strictly adhere to the regulations.

“These provisions are intended to ensure voters can freely exercise their right to vote, while allowing low-key campaigning to continue without the disruption of organised public events,” Moepya said.

Voters are encouraged to verify their registration details and voting station locations before heading out to vote.

You can check your status through the following channels:

• WhatsApp: send your ID number to 0600-88-0000.
• SMS: text your ID number to 32810 (R1 per SMS).
• Call Centre: call toll-free at 0800-11-8000.
• Online: Visit the IEC website at www.elections.org.za

TimesLIVE

Story audio is generated using AI

The leadership of the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), one of South Africa’s largest unions, is in limbo after regional and national leaders suspended each other in a power struggle over control of the metalworkers’ union.

In scenes reminiscent of the 2021 power struggle between then ANC secretary-general Ace Magashule and party leader Cyril Ramaphosa, when Magashule attempted to suspend Ramaphosa before being suspended himself, Numsa’s national office bearers and regional leaders have suspended each other in less than a week.

The power struggle and counter-suspensions are threatening the credibility of the union, the backbone of the South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu).

At its peak before its expulsion from Cosatu in November 2014, Numsa was its largest affiliate with about 360,000 members.

The national office bearers announced last Thursday that their special national executive committee (NEC) had resolved to suspend the regional leaders, who in turn said they had lost confidence in them.

However, the regional leaders announced at a media briefing on Tuesday that their own executive committee, which met on Monday, had resolved to suspend the office bearers on charges of:

• dereliction of duty;
• conduct bringing the union into disrepute;
• gross violations of the Numsa constitution and constitutional procedures; and
• wasteful expenditure.

The regional leaders’ special national executive committee meeting maintained that the central committee meeting of October 23 was “properly constituted and that its decisions remain valid and binding. No court of law has set aside those decisions”.

The committee resolved that suspensions imposed by the national office bearers without proper constitutional authority must be lifted

Numsa

The central committee meeting resolved to strip the national office bearers, including general secretary Irvin Jim and president Andrew Chirwa, of their powers and replaced them with a task co-ordinating team.

“The special national executive committee expressed serious concern about the conduct of the national office bearers, particularly the failure to respect and implement decisions of the central committee and the resulting disruption to the effective functioning of the union,” the Numsa statement announcing the outcomes of the committee meeting says.

“The executive committee believes that the continued disregard for constitutional decisions, the undermining of elected regional leadership and the emergence of competing centres of authority have contributed significantly to the organisational instability experienced by Numsa.

“After considering these matters, it resolved that the general secretary, comrade Irvin Jim, comrade Mbuso Ngubane and the remaining national office bearers be suspended forthwith from their respective duties, pending investigations into allegations of misconduct, in terms of chapter 3(c)(v) of the Numsa constitution.”

It said the purpose of these measures was to:

• safeguard the integrity of the union;
• protect its constitutional structures; and
• ensure accountability for conduct that may have undermined organisational stability and democratic worker control.

“The committee further resolved that suspensions imposed by the national office bearers without proper constitutional authority must be lifted.”

Business Day has reported that the Numsa regional leaders had consented that the powers to suspend or implement disciplinary actions against them rested with the regional executive committee.

The union’s recovery cannot be achieved through factional manoeuvring, intimidation, the manipulation of constitutional provisions or the undermining of democratically elected structures

Numsa regional leaders

This after Jim and Chirwa wrote to the regional leaders on Monday, the day the regional leaders held their special national executive committee, saying the national office bearers remained the legitimate leadership, and called on them to withdraw the notice and cancel the “purported meeting, including any adjournment or reconvening of it; if proceedings have commenced, cease conducting them as a meeting of Numsa’s NEC and refrain from adopting or implementing purported decisions in that capacity”.

The national office bearers held their own special NEC last week where they resolved to suspend the regional leaders who held a central committee meeting and suspended the national office bearers, replacing them with a task co-ordinating team.

Regional leaders from the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal, JC Bez, Mpumalanga and Sedibeng defied Jim by convening a central committee meeting recently, the highest decision-making body between national congresses. Jim had written to them to say the meeting scheduled for October 23-25 had been cancelled until further notice.

The letter by Jim followed a ruling by labour court judge Edwin Tlhotlhalemaje preventing Numsa and the office-bearers from barring delegates from Mpumalanga from attending, participating and voting at committee meetings.

At the central committee meeting (October 23-25), the regional leaders — including Andile Bloko, Nkosinathi Makhanya and Andile Nqilingwane — resolved to strip the national office of their delegated powers and functions.

“The special national executive recognises that Numsa is confronting a serious organisational challenge that requires decisive, collective and constitutionally grounded intervention. The union’s recovery cannot be achieved through factional manoeuvring, intimidation, the manipulation of constitutional provisions or the undermining of democratically elected structures. It requires honesty, accountability, organisational discipline and respect for the collective decisions of the membership,” they said.

Numsa national spokesperson Mbali Ngwenda has been approached for comment, which will be added once received.

Business Day

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The government has encouraged South Africans to exercise their right to vote in the local government elections on November 4.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) concluded its two-day special voting process on Tuesday, with a total of 1,425,942 special votes cast across Monday and Tuesday ahead of the main election day.

The government thanked South Africans who participated in the special voting process and urged all eligible citizens to turn out in numbers on Wednesday to cast their ballots.

“The right to vote was a hard-won victory for South Africans,” said deputy government spokesperson William Baloyi.

“Participating in elections is one of the most important ways South Africans can exercise and protect democracy. The municipal elections are a key indicator of how South Africa’s democracy is growing stronger by giving citizens a voice in decisions that affect service delivery and their communities’ future.

“By participating in the municipal elections, you are exercising your fundamental democratic right and helping to shape the future of your community.”

Government cautions against the deliberate circulation of unsubstantiated allegations, fabricated election results, manipulated videos and misleading claims intended to discredit the IEC or create unnecessary public anxiety

William Baloyi, deputy government spokesperson

Baloyi advised voters to arrive early at their voting stations to avoid unforeseen weather disruptions as forecasts indicate isolated showers in parts of the country.

Voters are reminded to bring a valid, acceptable form of identification when going to vote. Take your:

• Smart ID card;
• green barcoded ID book; or
• a valid temporary identity document.

Baloyi warned the public against spreading misinformation and fabricated claims, urging citizens to report any instances to the independent platform handling digital election-related complaints.

“Government cautions against the deliberate circulation of unsubstantiated allegations, fabricated election results, manipulated videos and misleading claims intended to discredit the IEC or create unnecessary public anxiety,” he said.

“Your vote is your voice. Never underestimate the power of your vote.”

Parliament and political leaders have also made a final call for eligible citizens to participate in the local government elections.

Speaker of the National Assembly Thoko Didiza and chairperson of the National Council of Provinces Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane urged South Africans to familiarise themselves with the candidates contesting in their municipalities so they can make informed decisions at the ballot box.

“The presiding officers emphasise that voting is not only about electing councillors, but also about determining who will represent communities, oversee municipal service delivery and hold municipal administrations accountable,” parliament said in a statement.

“They encourage voters to familiarise themselves with the candidates and political parties contesting the elections and to make informed choices based on the needs and aspirations of their communities.”

TimesLIVE

Facing a determined Diego Simeone side and a partisan crowd, the Bundesliga champions produced a controlled performance despite missing several attacking players and manager Vincent Kompany, who is recovering after collapsing at training.

Bayern had drawn 2-2 with Arsenal and 3-3 against Viking in their previous two European matches, leaving victory important to their prospects of finishing in the top eight of the league phase and qualifying directly for the last 16.

Last season’s semifinalists Atletico were on a nine-game unbeaten run that included eight wins, but struggled to create clear chances against a compact Bayern defence.

Bayern had conceded at least four goals across the two legs in each of their last four Champions League eliminations, but their defensive cohesion allowed them to control the game until Lennart Karl capitalised on a Robin Le Normand error to open the scoring.

The vision from Kane, the finish from Laimer 😮‍💨⚡️

Bayern score their second of the night ⚽️⚽️

📺 Stream #UCL on DStv: https://t.co/B0jLrQW5cc pic.twitter.com/l4aNOEpVtc

— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) November 3, 2026

“The way we defended together as a group to get the clean sheet, we were really pleased with the whole team performance,” Bayern assistant manager Aaron Danks told a press conference.

“Tonight was about the collective group, about the spirit of this group, to come together in adversity and get a result in a difficult ground.”

Harry Kane’s pass and the power of Konrad Laimer’s finish stood out in Bayern’s second goal, but it was their coordinated pressing that forced Atletico into surrendering possession in a dangerous area.

Without relying on decisive individual performances or fluid attacking play, Bayern kept the Spanish side at bay with relative ease.

Led by Ballon d’Or holder Kane, Bayern possess a squad capable of competing with Europe’s leading sides.

Paris St Germain’s blend of attacking quality and collective discipline has been central to their two Champions League triumphs and Bayern showed at the Metropolitano that they also have the cohesion needed to challenge.

Villarreal can't keep up with PSG 💨

Fabián Ruiz makes it four for the visitors 👏

📺 Stream #UCL on DStv: https://t.co/B0jLrQW5cc pic.twitter.com/FchSwLL528

— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) November 3, 2026

Also on Tuesday night, Paris St Germain also underlined their Champions League title credentials with thrashing Villarreal respectively on Tuesday, while Manchester United came from two goals down to snatch a dramatic win over AS Roma.

PSG set a record as the fastest team to score four goals in a Champions League match on their way to a 6-0 victory.

At Old Trafford, Matheus Cunha struck twice in quick succession after the break as United overturned a two-goal deficit to beat Roma 3-2, the comeback following protests by home supporters.

Barcelona eased to a 3-0 home win over Aston Villa after Lamine Yamal opened the scoring in the seventh minute and Raphinha added a second-half double, while Inter Milan were equally convincing, beating Feyenoord 3-0 at De Kuip.

PSG remain top of the standings with 12 points, followed by a group of six teams on nine points including Barcelona and Villa.

Stadiums across Europe fell silent before kickoff in memory of Tenerife player Jesus de Miguel, who died earlier on Tuesday.

At the Metropolitano, Bayern enjoyed the majority of possession but struggled initially to break down a disciplined Atletico, who finished the first half without a shot on target. That was not a true reflection, however, of the threat the hosts carried on the counterattack.

1️⃣4️⃣ Champions League Goals

Lamine Yamal becomes the highest-scoring teenager in #UCL history 🤩🌟

📺 Stream on DStv: https://t.co/B0jLrQW5cc pic.twitter.com/i2ktBg8g2P

— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) November 3, 2026

Bayern’s first clear chance did not come until the 22nd minute when Karl shot wide, before an unmarked Kane volleyed off target from close range four minutes later. A series of well-timed defensive interventions prevented Bayern from building momentum, leaving Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak largely untroubled before the break.

Karl made the breakthrough after halftime, dispossessing Robin Le Normand inside the Atletico penalty area before finishing neatly.

Atletico pushed Bayern back after falling behind but created few clear chances and their determination to play out from defence again proved costly in the 74th.

Bayern regained possession before Kane’s precise pass released Laimer, who produced an equally assured finish to put the result beyond doubt.

Roma seized control against Manchester United when Matias Soule opened the scoring in the 11th minute, before Donyell Malen doubled their advantage from the penalty spot seven minutes later.

The early goals intensified the discontent among the home supporters, who had released hundreds of green and gold balloons as the teams emerged, a reference to United’s original colours, before throwing dozens of yellow tennis balls onto the pitch in the first half.

Cunha goes 𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐆 🤯🚀

The Brazilian's brace wins it at Old Trafford 🔴⚡️

📺 Stream #UCL on DStv: https://t.co/B0jLrQW5cc pic.twitter.com/8zir3GlCPK

— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) November 3, 2026

United began their fightback in the 58th when captain Bruno Fernandes scored a retaken penalty. Cunha then transformed the contest, equalising seven minutes from time before scoring again three minutes later to complete the turnaround and spark jubilant celebrations at Old Trafford.

His eventful night ended prematurely, however. Booked for removing his shirt and jumping into the stands after his winner, the Brazilian was sent off for a late challenge in stoppage time, completing a chaotic eight-minute spell.

At the Camp Nou, Barcelona’s Lamine pounced on a loose Aston Villa pass to open the scoring after seven minutes, although Unai Emery’s side created the clearer openings before the break despite pressure from the hosts.

Raphinha made the closing stages comfortable for Barcelona with a deflected strike before adding his second from an exquisite Joao Cancelo assist.

Inter Milan delivered a clinical away performance to defeat Feyenoord. Yann Bisseck scored early with a long-range curler, before Pio Esposito headed home a second before halftime and Piotr Zielinski sealed the victory.

LASK claimed only their second ever Champions League win in a 4-0 triumph over Slovan Bratislava, while hosts Bodo/Glimt drew 0-0 with Lille.

Earlier, Aleksey Batrakov scored twice as Galatasaray beat Stuttgart 2-0, while Sporting defeated Shakhtar Donetsk 1-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Reuters

As Arrows went out to impress new coach Mandla Ncikazi, who left Orlando Pirates as assistant to Abdeslam Ouaddou last week, the Kwazulu-Natal team made life difficult for the Brazilians at Loftus Versfeld.

Downs were playing the match in midweek, ahead of the weekend’s three other quarterfinals, because they contest the Caf Super Cup against USM Alger at Loftus on Sunday (3pm).

Rayners gets a touch on it and the deadlock is broken 🤩👆

📺 Stream #CarlingKnockoutCup on DStv: https://t.co/B0jLrQW5cc pic.twitter.com/zlJzBA8SxU

— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) November 3, 2026

With one eye on that big match, where his team could lift their third trophy of the season to add to the MTN8 and African-Asian-Pacific Cup, Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso rested some major performers. The Portuguese fielded some fringe players who have played an important role, stepping in when called on amid Downs’ frenetic schedule, including Ricardo Goss on goal, Malibongwe Khoza, Mothobi Mvala, Antonio van Wyk, Bathusi Aubaas, Sphelele Mkhulise and Arthur Sales.

The “back-up” combination took time to engineer the breakthrough against hard-working Arrows.

It came when Van Wyk cut inside from the left onto his right foot and shot from outside the box, Rayners getting the touch with his head past goalkeeper Dumisani Msibi.

TimesLIVE

Agoa, introduced in 2000, has provided eligible African countries with preferential, largely duty-free access to the American market. For SA, this has supported exports across several important sectors, including automotive manufacturing, agriculture, textiles, jewellery and other manufactured goods.

The potential suspension concerns jobs, investment, industrial development and SA’s competitiveness in the global economy.

According to reports, SA exported about $1.7bn (R28bn) under Agoa in 2025. The loss of preferential access could make SA products more expensive and less competitive against goods from countries that retain preferential access.

The automotive sector deserves particular attention. SA’s vehicle manufacturing industry is deeply integrated into international supply chains. Any additional trade barriers could affect production decisions, export volumes, investment confidence and employment. Agricultural exporters, particularly those supplying the American market, could also face increased costs and reduced competitiveness.

However, we must distinguish between losing preferential access and losing the American market altogether. SA businesses can continue exporting to the US, but potentially under less favourable tariff conditions.

The broader challenge is that international trade increasingly intersects with diplomacy and geopolitical interests. SA must carefully manage its relationship with Washington while protecting its constitutional independence and national economic interests. Trade negotiations should be guided by mutual respect, economic pragmatism and the long-term interests of both countries.

The government must also avoid presenting alternative markets as an immediate solution. These cannot automatically replace the scale and value of existing American trade.

The immediate priority must be to protect affected businesses and workers and engage the US through diplomatic and trade channels. Government, business and labour must work together on a practical economic response.

Ultimately, Agoa should remind us that economic diplomacy is inseparable from national economic security.

The question facing SA is not simply how we respond to losing Agoa benefits, but whether we have a credible economic strategy to protect jobs, attract investment and expand global trading opportunities. - Tsepo Mhlongo

A Democratic wave

Opinion polls ahead of the midterms pointed to Democrats having a good night. However, the scale of their gains was far greater than most analysts had forecast, extending beyond traditional battlegrounds deep into Republican territory.

In Texas, James Talarico routed Republican Ken Paxton, becoming the state’s first Democratic senator-elect in 38 years.

In flipping the Senate seat in South Carolina, the party also made history. Democrats have not won a Senate race there this century, and the win by Annie Andrews over Republican senator Darline Graham became another defining upset of the night.

In the Senate race in Ohio, a state Trump won three times, Democrat Sherrod Brown prevailed, while in Kansas, Democrat Adam Hamilton easily defeated Republican incumbent Roger Marshall. Democrats last won a Senate seat in Kansas in 1932 during the Great Depression.

Democrats were projected by US media outlets to win back control of both the US House and Senate.

Strategists in both parties said the Democrats’ sweeping victories were fuelled by strong turnout of party faithful and independent voters who broke their way in both swing states and Republican strongholds. Democrats also adopted a strategy to field a candidate in every race, even those who only months ago appeared to be long shots.

Those bets paid off, particularly as Republicans fielded candidates who struggled to overcome Trump’s unpopularity and voter anger over high prices.

However, winning back Congress could be a double-edged sword for Democrats.

Voters will likely look to Democrats to address their economic concerns and not only oppose Trump. However, they will be limited in what legislation they can pass as the president retains veto power. Trump could also say Democrats are at the very least equally culpable for the state of the economy.

Trump told media outlets he would accept the election results and was prepared to work with Democrats.

An angry electorate

Trump asked voters to pretend he was on the ballot. They did, and Republicans paid the price.

Early results and exit polls showed an electorate in a sour mood, delivering a strong rebuke of Trump and his agenda as voters expressed deep unhappiness about high prices and the direction of the country.

Many said they feel worse off than two years ago and nearly nine in 10 identified the cost of living as a crucial or major factor in their vote, according to exit polls.

Trump was elected in 2024 on a promise to arrest high inflation, but his tariffs on foreign goods and the war against Iran have worsened the economic situation for many Americans. His response on the campaign trail was to tell Americans to absorb the higher costs even as his popularity sank to record lows.

Nearly two-thirds of voters in the exit polls blamed Trump for high prices, while three-quarters said they were either angry or dissatisfied with the direction of the country. Voters also expressed widespread concern over government corruption.

Rejecting Trump’s picks

It wasn’t only a bad night for Republicans, it was a bad night for Trump personally. He suffered defeats as several candidates he had elevated over the objections of local Republicans struggled in races the party expected to win.

Trump’s handpicked Senate candidates in South Carolina and North Carolina, Graham and Michael Whatley, lost their races, while Paxton in Texas was soundly beaten. Trump’s choices put Republicans on the defensive in states where they had been favoured to win.

The losses are likely to revive questions about Trump’s political instincts, particularly his tendency to prioritise personal loyalty over candidates with broader electoral appeal.

The exit polls showed the coalition of voters that powered his 2024 victory is badly fractured. Republicans recorded sharp declines in support among black men, Latinos and young voters.

Economy outweighs fear

In the closing weeks of the campaign, Trump and his fellow Republicans tried to paint Democrats as dangerous radicals and communists who would destroy the country if elected.

The attacks didn’t work. Voters were far more focused on the price of groceries and fuel and wanted to hear more from Trump about how he would lower costs.

During the campaign, Trump repeatedly argued that if Democrats won, “it’s going to be a communist country”. He said Democratic establishments in some states had been replaced by “crazed lunatics and radicals”.

Fear has often worked as a tactic in US elections, but in the end Trump could not persuade voters that Democrats really posed an existential threat to the US.

Goodbye Hispanic honeymoon

Trump’s honeymoon with Latino voters may be over. That’s bad news for Republicans who had been counting on the major group of swing voters for wins from California to Florida.

In Texas, where four in 10 people are Latino, Democrats flipped the governor and Senate seats, media outlets forecast. In heavily Latino southeast Florida, Democrat Pia Dandiya triumphed in the 22nd congressional district despite the district being recently redrawn to favour Republicans.

Latino voters helped lift Trump to victory in 2024, when he won nearly half the Hispanic vote, up from about one-third in 2020. Two years later, many had deserted his party. Economic anger helped drive Republican support among Hispanic voters down to only one in three on Tuesday, from 46% in 2024, exit polls showed.

The victories of Gina Hinojosa, who will become the first Latina governor of Texas, and Xavier Becerra, who will be California’s first elected Latino governor, underscored the importance of the Hispanic electorate.

Reuters

If the fruit enters the US after January 1 2027 and the tariff preference falls away, who carries the extra cost?

The importer could accept a lower margin, ask the exporter to reduce its price or turn to another supplier.

The answer may determine how much fruit the grower can sell and how many shifts the packhouse can run. That is how a trade decision in Washington becomes an employment decision in South Africa.

On November 2, Washington announced that President Donald Trump had notified Congress and the governments of South Africa and Rwanda of his intention to terminate their eligibility for the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) from January 1.

The programme itself has been extended through December 2028. The distinction matters because eligible competitors can retain preferences that South African suppliers stand to lose.

Pretoria has described the 60 days as an advance notice period and says it remains engaged with Washington. Exporters have to make commercial decisions while those discussions continue.

Modest national exposure can mask serious local shock

Introduced in 2000, Agoa offered qualifying goods from eligible sub-Saharan African countries duty-free access to the US without requiring equivalent tariff preferences in return. Its value went beyond the saving on an individual shipment.

It helped South African producers make the case for investing in certification, specialised equipment and buyer relationships. The programme’s lapse in September 2025 and retroactive renewal in February 2026 exposed a tension that the latest announcement brings into focus.

A factory or packhouse is built to serve customers for years, while the policy supporting its business case can change between one order and the next.

South African government figures put exports under Agoa at about US$4bn (about R662bn) in 2024 and US$1.7bn in 2025. In 2025, they represented around 10% of South African exports to the US and about 1% of the country’s total exports worldwide.

These figures describe the value of trade using the preference. The eventual loss of sales will depend on tariff rates, the availability of competing suppliers and how buyers respond.

The burden will also be uneven. Passenger vehicles and parts accounted for nearly two-thirds of South Africa’s Agoa-eligible products in 2024, according to the US Congressional Research Service. Vehicles already face separate US tariffs, so the incremental effect of losing Agoa has to be established at the product level.

The greater risk lies in the concentration of that exposure. An order that barely registers in national trade statistics can keep a production line running or carry a packhouse through part of its season.

A small component maker may lose work even though it has never been exported directly. The global value chain perspective helps explain why. The importer pays the duty at the border, but the cost moves through the supply chain according to who can switch suppliers, find another customer or afford to wait.

A retailer with several approved sources can push for a discount. A manufacturer that would need months to qualify a substitute has more reason to share the cost.

Defend the US orders that still make commercial sense

Every exposed exporter should review its largest orders with its US importer and customs broker. For each product, establish whether it currently claims Agoa, what ordinary US duty would apply if the preference ends, and how any separate tariffs or exemptions affect the calculation.

Check when the goods are expected to enter US customs and who bears the duty under the contract. A shipment leaving Durban in December may enter the US in January. That exercise should lead directly to a conversation with the buyer.

For a citrus producer, the negotiating case may rest on reliability during a particular supply window. For a vehicle component maker or a specialist boatbuilder, it may rest on the buyer’s cost of qualifying another supplier or arranging comparable after-sales support.

Where the relationship warrants a price concession, the exporter should ask for something of commercial value in return, such as a minimum volume commitment or a temporary adjustment with a review date.

The relevant test is whether the order still contributes enough after duty, freight, financing and the cost of serving the customer.

Cost reduction and product upgrading belong in the same calculation. Better cold-chain planning can cut spoilage. Coordinating delivery and production schedules can reduce storage costs or emergency freight.

Processing fruit locally may create a higher-value export or a use for fruit outside fresh-market specifications, provided there is a buyer and the finished product’s tariff, processing costs and achievable price support the investment.

Domestic value addition earns its place in the strategy when it improves the economics of the order.

Diversify through customers, not just countries

The revised Uppsala model of internationalisation, developed by Jan Johanson and Jan-Erik Vahlne, explains why exporters struggle when they sit outside the business networks that matter in a foreign market.

A distributor can provide knowledge that a market report rarely captures, including who buys, which specifications are negotiable and how reliably customers pay.

Firms can use that knowledge to test demand in stages. Start with a credible local partner and a trial shipment. Commit more stock or capital once a repeat order demonstrates that the relationship can work.

Africa offers a practical place to apply that approach. South Africa began preferential trading under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) in January 2024, with initial manufactured shipments to Ghana and Kenya.

In Southern Africa, existing Sadc preferences remain relevant where applicable. The commercial opportunity includes building regional supply and service networks. A South African equipment manufacturer entering Kenya, for example, could partner with a local firm that stocks parts and services machines.

For the customer, the ability to get a machine running again may be decisive. For the exporter, the partnership creates a reason for the customer to buy again. Firms should assess rules of origin, border times and payment risk alongside the tariff preference.

Brics can help build commercial relationships, with access terms determined market by market. China’s temporary zero-duty scheme for qualifying South African goods runs from May 2026 to April 2028, subject to the applicable tariff schedule and rules of origin.

An exporter considering China still needs to establish whether the product has the necessary approvals, which buyers will take it and what margin remains after freight and distribution. The same discipline applies to India, Canada, the EU, the UK and the Gulf.

The gravity model of trade explains why market size is only part of the opportunity. Trade depends on the cost of reaching a market relative to the alternatives. For a grower, a longer voyage can consume a tariff saving through freight and spoilage.

For an industrial exporter, an established service partner can make a smaller market more attractive than a larger one.

Give trade diplomacy a commercial brief

Washington cited barriers to US trade and investment, corruption, and national security and foreign policy concerns. Pretoria says it has offered concessions and that Washington has raised issues outside the scope of talks already under way.

The immediate task is to seek specific, written concerns and separate questions that officials can address through technical negotiations from those that require higher-level diplomacy.

Where agricultural market access is at issue, for example, officials should distinguish tariff or quota questions from animal-health safeguards.

Pretoria should press for continued eligibility and explore transitional or sector-specific relief where feasible. American importers and distributors can add weight to that effort by documenting the cost of changing suppliers and the consequences for their own customers and workers.

At home, the department of trade, industry and competition should use chambers, industry associations and organised labour to identify where exposure is concentrated.

Exporters with viable orders may need quick access to customs advice or working capital. Firms with a credible buyer in a new market may need help with certification or an unresolved market-access barrier. Smaller suppliers may need to be identified through the exporters they serve.

This work should inform the broader competitiveness agenda. A less costly port delay, a more reliable rail service or fewer interruptions to production can improve margins on every route a firm serves.

By January, a citrus exporter should know which American orders it can keep, how much of the extra duty it can afford to absorb and which new buyer is ready to take a trial shipment.

Pretoria, for its part, should be able to show Washington what those orders sustain on both sides of the Atlantic, from packhouse shifts and suppliers in South Africa to the American importers and distributors that rely on them.

Keeping an American order can help keep the packhouse running this season. When a new customer comes back for a second shipment, the grower has another buyer to count on when planning the next crop.

• Prof Boikanyo is an academic at the University of Johannesburg. He writes in his own personal capacity

Sowetan

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As IEC officials wrapped up special voting ahead of Wednesday’s main election day, some voters welcomed the opportunity to cast their ballots for their preferred political parties, while others admitted that they were voting simply because they felt obliged to.

On Tuesday, TimesLIVE tagged along with IEC staff as they travelled to homes of people who had applied for special votes (home visits) in Saulsville, a township subdivision of Atteridgeville in Tshwane.

In Ward 63, at Bud Mbelle voting station, 38 voters were registered for special votes through home visits, while 101 were expected to cast their ballots at the voting station.

Among those who voted during home visits was Elsie Chabane, who voted enthusiastically from the comfort of her home and openly expressed her admiration for President Cyril Ramaphosa.

“I love Ramaphosa with all my heart. They insult him and he is so quiet, we love him. Ramaphosa is quiet. Let’s work together, let’s eat together,” she said.

The 91-year-old said all she asks for is for Ramaphosa to increase old age grants.

“We ask for some increase. I am voting for my family. Those who don’t want to vote, it’s their issue. I see the (ANC) work. Ramaphosa has no problem. If you ask him for R5, he will give it to you; what do we want? I am satisfied with Ramaphosa,” she said.

Further, Chabane said all she wants is an ANC T-shirt and a doek.

“Today we pensioners are earning because of Ramaphosa. He is also giving our unemployed youth R370,” Chabane said.

She expressed how life has been better since 1994.

“We used to suffer during apartheid. Today we get more than R2,000 and I can buy food. We are eating; what more do I want? I see that apartheid life and ANC life differ. Where would I get R200 to pay rent and the burial society?

“Our mothers used to get paid R15 a month while white people were getting free grants. Mandela gave us a grant and said both white and black should earn the same, and we are happy. I pray that ANC win. Even if we don’t win this one, we will win the national.

“I am ANC. ANC won’t fall. I am happy that I am voting at home,” she said.

In Ward 68, wheelchair-bound Lesego Bohola says she has lost hope of ever owning a house, despite it being a lifelong dream.

“All I want is a house. I am not hoping for anything anymore. I have lost hope. I have no strength to go up and down. I am sick, anything can happen to me now. I am just making an X. I couldn’t get any service while I could walk, now I have lost hope since I am also sick,” she said.

Bohola, who first voted in 1994, said she had voted many times for the same party. While she said she still voted for the party, she has no expectations of it as she is tired of being disappointed.

“If I change my vote, I would be thinking that another party would make a change; I am just voting for the sake of it. I am now nursing pain, my time is up. I am heartbroken and I am tired. Whether it’s good or bad, what comes is fine for me. I no longer care about anything,” she said.

She said nothing had changed since 1994.

TimesLIVE

Pretoria has defended its concessions, questioned additional American concerns and emphasised alternative markets. Though both governments have reasons for their positions, neither has established a clear path from further negotiations to restored trade certainty.

About $1.7bn (R28.1bn) in South African exports benefited from Agoa preferences in 2025, representing about 1% of the country’s global exports.

This figure measures qualifying trade rather than revenue that would automatically disappear since the consequences depend on tariffs, profit margins and customers’ willingness to absorb higher prices. Withdrawal would not close the American market, and though the national economy may withstand the adjustment, particular exporters and workers could face substantial losses.

These consequences are widely recognised, but a less examined difficulty lies in the relationship between the negotiations and the decisions businesses must make while awaiting their outcome.

Agoa is not a conventional trade agreement in which two governments exchange tariff concessions to secure a defined outcome.

It is a preference programme with eligibility requirements extending beyond commercial market access, allowing the US government to consider governance, trade barriers, national security and foreign policy interests.

Its eligibility reviews give American authorities considerable discretion over whether a country continues to receive benefits.

That structure matters because the US government’s objections to South Africa require different responses. Agricultural restrictions can be assessed against animal health evidence and market access rules, while corruption requires institutional reforms and credible enforcement.

Foreign policy disagreements involve diplomatic choices that may not be amenable to commercial compromise. Addressing one concern therefore does not necessarily resolve another.

South Africa has legitimate reasons to regulate agricultural imports, pursue industrial development and maintain an independent foreign policy. However, legitimate objectives do not make every existing restriction defensible.

Some measures may protect public health or productive capacity, while others could impose costs without demonstrable benefits. Reform should be assessed on its domestic merits rather than accepted or rejected simply because Washington demands it.

Corruption is similarly not a matter of sovereignty alone, since weak procurement controls and inconsistent enforcement damage South African institutions regardless of American preferences. Stronger accountability would serve domestic interests even if it did nothing to restore Agoa eligibility.

The South African government maintains it has offered concessions beyond its earlier commitments and the American administration has raised additional concerns during negotiations that began in 2025.

These claims deserve scrutiny: an offer is not necessarily sufficient merely because it has been made, and bilateral concessions cannot guarantee Agoa eligibility. However, the announcement identified broad categories of concern without specifying which South African actions were decisive.

The South African government must weigh the domestic costs of further concessions without knowing whether they would materially alter Washington’s decision.

The government’s diversification efforts are important but cannot immediately replace predictable access to an established market

American authorities, meanwhile, must assess eligibility against requirements that cannot necessarily be satisfied through trade negotiations alone. Uncertainty may therefore persist even as both governments continue to engage.

For businesses, the consequences begin before withdrawal takes effect. An exporter considering a supply contract with an American customer must calculate future tariffs and the profitability of additional production, while an investor contemplating expansion must assess demand over several years. Neither can postpone every decision until the governments reach agreement.

A known tariff increase can be incorporated into commercial calculations, though it may still make production uncompetitive.

An uncertain tariff regime creates a different problem: businesses must prepare for several possible outcomes without knowing which will materialise. Some may delay expansion, shorten contracts or reconsider their exposure to US customers. These responses can begin before preferences are withdrawn.

The government’s diversification efforts are important but cannot immediately replace predictable access to an established market.

New opportunities do not automatically translate into customers, commercial relationships or comparable profit margins, and businesses differ in their capacity to adjust. Those with limited financial reserves may be less able to wait for alternative markets to develop.

The US government also faces a question about effectiveness: its legal authority to withdraw preferences does not establish that doing so will change the conduct it opposes. Economic pressure may impose costs on exporters and workers without resolving the underlying disagreements.

For South Africa, the corresponding responsibility is to distinguish policies worth defending from those warranting reform, while explaining how affected businesses and workers will be supported.

This does not require abandoning legitimate principles for market access, but it does require recognising that the economic consequences of defending those principles are borne unevenly.

The unresolved problem is therefore not simply whether South Africa can survive without Agoa, but whether negotiations covering fundamentally different disputes can deliver the predictability on which trade depends.

Governments can continue negotiating without a clear endpoint, while businesses cannot indefinitely postpone decisions about customers, investment and employment.

The longer the talks continue without a credible prospect of resolution, the more businesses must plan for a future without Agoa preferences.

If an agreement eventually comes, there is no guarantee that all the customers, investments and jobs it was meant to protect will still be there.

• Sekhampu is chief director of the NWU Business School.

Sowetan

Madumetja Mothabele was eager to cast his vote.

“I woke up at 4am and arrived at 5am. I wanted to be here early and I became number one in line. We want service delivery and lights, and our rent is very expensive,” he said.

The 61-year-old said when he was done voting, he wanted to do his laundry as he was given a day off work. Wednesday is a public holiday.

Rejoice Makgoro, who also arrived at about 5am, said she had planned to arrive early to avoid long queues.

She is a state pensioner who is hoping for improved water service delivery and an increase in the grant.

“The R2,400 [old age grant] is too small for the food and rent we are paying. We would like an increase to at least R3,000. Food is expensive.”

In the queue, residents could be heard discussing different political parties and what they had promised. Some complained that 7am is late to start to vote.

A few retail workers could be seen going about their day while they waited for transport. The usually busy streets were quiet, with little traffic.

TimesLIVE

Joburg mayor Dada Morero said the first tranche of R1.2bn was paid in March following a budget adjustment, with another R1.2bn expected early next year.

The PFA addresses historical salary disparities that arose from the amalgamation of various local authorities and the salary harmonisation process that followed.

Joburg Mayor Dada Morero says the City and SAMWU have signed an addendum to the R10.3bn Political Financial Agreement. Implementation has begun, with an initial R1.2m tranche paid in March and another R1.2m expected early next year following budget adjustments. @Sowetan1981 https://t.co/DaHIX2mqDJ pic.twitter.com/kmtNeSEsoC

— Koena Mashale (@Koena_xM) November 3, 2026

Morero said the agreement would implement outstanding parity commitments and ensure affected employees were placed at the appropriate entry level of the common key salary scale for a grade 10 municipality.

He said a further payment of between R1.6bn and R5bn remained subject to the terms of the November 2025 settlement agreement.

Morero said the city had adopted a council resolution in July to move all employees to grade 10, in line with other metros.

He stressed that the agreement would remain binding even if the administration changed after the elections.

“These are council resolutions... they will have to honour this agreement,” Morero said.

He said any new administration that attempted to set the agreement aside could face legal action.

Samwu Johannesburg secretary Thobani Nkosi welcomed the addendum.

“[It] will definitely assist us to make sure that we have a procured method and a safe method of funding this particular PFA,” he said.

“The purpose of entering into this particular agreement was purely that this PFA should be funded and that we should not have a similar situation like this July, where there was no budget for this particular PFA.”

Nkosi thanked Gauteng co-operative governance and traditional affairs MEC Jacob Mamabolo for facilitating mediation between the union and the city.

Mamabolo said the provincial government would ensure the agreement was enforced, even if there was a change of government after the elections.

“The agreements that have been signed by the current administration bind the next one; no one can just arbitrarily set aside decisions that have been made,” Mamabolo said.

He said any attempt to undo the agreement would require the new administration to show cause and approach the relevant institutions.

Mamabolo said the province had a strong interest in the stability and good governance of Johannesburg.

“There will be a new administration. It is the provincial government led by our premier, and I can say this without any shadow of doubt: that the premier and the provincial government that he leads have got a very big interest in the good governance of the city.”

Mamabolo said the province would engage whoever assumed leadership after the elections and would include the agreement in its orientation for municipalities.

A novice of eight wins and five knockouts against three losses, the Scotsman maintained steady eye contact, smiling, nodding and keeping an open posture showing attentiveness during their press briefing.

Forrest even promised fans an explosive show against the man whose aspiration is to win another world boxing title in the cruiserweight division.

Lerena ruled with an iron fist as the IBO champ before winning the WBC bridgerweight belt.

The fight against Forrest at Sandton Convention Centre on Saturday night will be Lerena’s return to that weight class.

His last fight was in 2020 when he successfully defended his IBO title with a sixth-round technical knockout victory against Firat Arslan at the EWS Arena in Göppingen, Germany.

Lerena’s No 6 spot in the WBC cruiserweight ratings will be at stake against Forrest, who is yet to be noticed by that boxing body’s ratings committee.

The vacant WBC International title fight will be at stake.

Forrest poked a snake in its hole with his response after being asked how he will approach vastly experienced Lerena, who boasts 31 wins, 15 KOs and four losses.

“There are zero surprises in the ring with the experience I have,” said 32-year-old Forrest, who has not fought against a recognisable name.

“I am ready for anything. The way he fights, the way I fight, you can expect an explosive fight. How you beat him, you will see that on Saturday night.”

Lerena communicated with respect, courtesy, and a focus on ideas rather than personal attacks.

But the mood changed after Forrest’s response.

“I am an explosive fighter. I light up the show,” he fired back.

With no amateur background, trainer Peter Smith, a former heavyweight boxer, had no difficulties teaching Lerena the finer details of boxing.

Luckily Lerena was and still is a willing horse.

“I am a special fighter with a great team,” said the former SA, IBO and WBF cruiserweight and WBC bridgerweight world champion, who has been with Smith for 15 years.

Forrest is a nine-time national amateur champion, competed for Team GB and represented Scotland at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games and the World Championships.

Lerena has fought big names, including Daniel Dubois, Lawrence Okolie and Ryad Merhy, and is returning to the cruiserweight division after dropping down from bridgerweight.

Forrest looks to secure a major career-defining victory against a high-profile former world titleholder.

The Lerena-Forrest fight will be the main bout of the ABP event.

The main supporting bout between Jarred “Mr Hollywood” Silverman and Stephanus “Waan” Pypers promises to be a fierce, high-energy and physical fight.

“I hope he makes it to the ring, that’s the most important thing,” said Silverman. “Once he does that, he will get the hiding of his life.

Pypers said: “Tickets have been sold out, so there’s no need for me to run my mouth. I hope he makes it out of that ring.”

There will be five other bouts and action will begin at 7pm.

Sowetan

Democrats were also on track to take control of the US House of Representatives after flipping eight Republican seats in states including Kentucky, New Jersey and North Carolina, and showing strength even in solidly conservative districts.

In Texas, Democratic state representative James Talarico withstood a barrage of outside spending to defeat scandal-plagued Republican attorney general Ken Paxton in a state that voted for Trump by 14 percentage points two years ago.

In South Carolina, a state Trump carried by nearly 18 points in 2024, paediatrician Annie Andrews triumphed over Republican senator Darline Graham, who was appointed to the seat after the death of her brother, senator Lindsey Graham.

In both races, Trump elevated Paxton and Graham ahead of more established candidates despite clear liabilities. Paxton has been at the centre of a litany of controversies, including his 2023 impeachment and securities fraud charges, while Graham’s admitted inexperience drew negative headlines.

Trump campaigned heavily for both Republican candidates as part of a late election blitz that included more than two dozen rallies, and the president told his supporters repeatedly to “pretend I’m on the ballot” in an effort to fire up his base.

On Tuesday night, as it grew clear Republicans were in danger of losing their congressional majorities, Trump wrote on social media: “I wasn’t on the ballot and if I was, we would have won in a landslide. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

The Democratic wave underscored voters’ deep frustration with Trump’s stewardship of the economy and his decision to launch a war against Iran in February, which sharply drove up fuel prices. In poll after poll, voters expressed anxiety about the cost of living and anger at the way Trump has handled the issue.

Along with Democrat Roy Cooper’s win in North Carolina’s Senate race, the party has flipped three of the four seats it needs to capture a Senate majority, assuming it holds its own seats in Michigan and Minnesota.

Democrats held onto Senate seats in Georgia and New Hampshire, both races that were once considered competitive but moved out of reach for Republicans amid Trump’s declining approval ratings.

A rebuke for Trump, says winner

“In sweeping and decisive victories, the American people have rebuked the depravity, corruption and incompetence of the man named President Donald J Trump,” incumbent Democratic senator Jon Ossoff, the projected winner in Georgia, told supporters at a victory party.

In Florida, Republican senator Ashley Moody fended off Democrat Angie Nixon but was ahead by only about three percentage points in a state Trump carried by 13 points in 2024, according to a vote count compiled by Reuters and USA Today, further evidence that even solidly Republican states were shifting dramatically toward Democrats.

Democrats held onto three House districts in Florida that Republican lawmakers had redrawn earlier this year, all of which backed Trump by at least nine percentage points.

According to exit polls conducted by SSRS on behalf of a consortium of US media outlets, including major television networks and the Associated Press, half of voters nationwide said they saw the 2026 midterm elections as an opportunity to rebuke the president, and three-quarters said they are “angry” or “dissatisfied” with the way the country is headed.

In addition, 70% of voters surveyed said they want Congress to provide more checks and balances on the president.

Trump deploys election monitors

Legal observers and Democrats have warned that Trump, who has long falsely claimed that US elections are rigged, may attempt to challenge Tuesday’s results if Republicans lose.

The justice department said it had deployed 1,000 election monitors and observers to all 50 states in what it called the largest Election Day monitoring effort in history.

Democrats criticised the plan as potential voter intimidation. In about two-thirds of the jurisdictions the department listed, voters supported Democrat Kamala Harris over Trump in the 2024 presidential election, a Reuters analysis found.

Election officials in several states reported no issues with the monitoring effort. New Mexico’s secretary of state’s office said it had received reports of federal monitors asking “unusual questions” in one county, and the justice department offered assurances the conduct would be addressed.

Reuters

The battle for control of municipalities is expected to end in another round of coalition horse-trading, with more hung councils projected and growing numbers of disillusioned voters potentially staying away from the polls.

There is a lot at stake as millions head to cast their ballots on Wednesday, experts said.

Political analyst Tessa Dooms warned the elections were likely to produce more coalition governments than ever before, with smaller parties and independent candidates potentially holding the balance of power in municipalities across the country.

Click here to read the full article.

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KZN flood victims ‘moved into homes with poor workmanship’

In June, flood victim Nomthandazo Nama was excited to move into her new home in the eThekwini municipality and KwaZulu-Natal human settlements’ Cornubia housing development near Phoenix, north of Durban.

However, after less than five months, she was struggling to fix gaps around windows and under doors where water leaked in and damaged her belongings whenever it rained.

“The contractors didn’t install a gutter,” said Nama.

Her cement floor began to crumble soon after she moved in.

Click here to read the full article.

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Ithuba welcomes high court ruling overturning lottery licence award

Former Lotto operator Ithuba says it is meeting its legal team after winning its legal challenge on the government’s decision to award the National Lottery licence to Sizekhaya Holdings.

The Pretoria high court voided the deal and referred the awarding of the licence back to trade, industry and competition minister Parks Tau for reconsideration.

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Briefing the media at the Results Operations Centre in Midrand on Tuesday, IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the commission’s Information Integrity Hub had identified growing attempts to question the integrity of the elections, particularly on social media.

“Unsubstantiated election fraud pronouncements by some political parties have led to supporters posting videos of presiding officers and staff transferring special vote ballots after home visits from carrying boxes and bags into the main ballot box at the voting station,” Mamabolo said.

He said the videos were being shared without context, alongside claims that something untoward was under way.

“The commission appeals to political parties to avoid making inflammatory remarks which represent the standard operating procedures regarding the voting process and the handling of election materials,” he said.

Deputy chief electoral officer for electoral matters Masego Sheburi explained that one widely shared video related to the transfer of special vote envelopes at a voting station in Rustenberg.

“That box only contained envelopes that had been removed to indicate that the record of those ballots cast by way of special votes have been verified and are in storage boxes,” Sheburi said.

“By all means, people can share videos, but contextualise those videos, because shared without context they create an impression that something untoward is happening.”

Sheburi also addressed claims relating to the Dlamini Tribal Court in KwaZulu-Natal, saying there were no facts to suggest voting materials had been stolen.

It had been alleged that operations were briefly halted at the court after Inkosi Lungelo Dlamini evicted IEC officials following a dispute over someone using his designated traditional court chair.

“Suffice to say, there were no stations’ voting materials stolen, and for that reason, there was no need to replenish the voting materials,” he said.

Sheburi also acknowledged that the commission could improve training, but said false information could not, on its own, prove that an error had occurred.

The Real411 platform has received 34 complaints related to misinformation and disinformation, incitement to violence, hate speech and harassment.

Real411 is the official platform for reporting misinformation and disinformation in the lead-up to elections used by the IEC.

X accounted for 58.8% of the complaints, followed by TikTok at 23.5%, while Facebook and WhatsApp accounted for 8.8%.

Mamabolo urged voters not to share unverified content.

“We urge citizens not to take any such social post at face value, but rather to check the context and the veracity before sharing,” he said.

“If you come across content that looks false or misleading, including AI-generated material, please report it to real411.org.za.”

The commission also raised concern about a sharp increase in prohibited conduct and criminal behaviour by some party supporters.

Mamabolo said these included intimidation of officials, disruption of voting processes and tampering with election materials.

In Mpumalanga, a ward 30 candidate allegedly stormed a voting station and damaged electoral materials. The candidate has since been arrested by police.

In KwaZulu-Natal, supporters of the uMkhonto weSizwe Party allegedly stormed the Dazeni Hoek library satellite warehouse, where election materials were kept, and held officials hostage. Public order police were called in to secure the officials and materials.

Mamabolo said there were also attempts by MK Party supporters to gain unlawful entry into election material storage facilities in Richmond, uMkhamatini and Pietermaritzburg.

The above conduct cannot be justified nor allowed to impair the country’s electoral process

IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo

In the Eastern Cape, two people allegedly attempted to collect security materials from the Ngobo police station while pretending to be IEC officials. One impersonator, a PR councillor candidate, has been arrested.

“The above conduct cannot be justified nor allowed to impair the country’s electoral process,” Mamabolo said.

He said the commission was taking legal steps to hold the identified individuals and political parties accountable.

Sowetan

AmaZulu CEO Sinenjabulo Zungu has narrated Usuthu’s appeal to the corporate world, insisting it has never been easy for the club to reach the level they’ve arrived at as far as attracting sponsors is concerned.

“It [attracting sponsors] is not easy. It’s taken us a while as well to get to a point where we’ve attracted the likes of Amstel,” Zungu told Sowetan yesterday.

“We lost Spar [their main sponsor for almost 40 years]... and it took us [a few seasons] to get someone who says, ‘I am putting my hand up; I’ll support the club,’ because essentially they [Amstel] approached us.”

Sinenjabulo, the daughter of the club’s owner, Sandile Zungu, insisted that a lot of work has been done behind the scenes to grow the AmaZulu brand and that they are now reaping the rewards.

“AmaZulu are not only about the playing side of things,” she said. “We put a lot of emphasis on brand equity and growing the brand. We re-launched our logo last season, and that was intentional because we are trying to corporatise and commercialise the brand.

“The reason why brands like Amstel are coming on board is that they see that we are more than a football club; we are a brand.

“We [recently] won awards at the Loeries. Anyone who follows advertising would actually acknowledge how big that is. No PSL club has ever entered the Loeries, and for us, that’s intentional... it’s to make the brand not only local but global.”

Zungu vowed there will be even more sponsors in the future. “Having Amstel on board is a big step, but I think it’s only the beginning. People must watch out; there’ll be a lot coming.”

She wasn’t at liberty to disclose how much their three-year Amstel sponsorship was worth, saying only that “it’s worth a substantial amount of money”.

Some of AmaZulu’s current sponsors and partners

Amandla Mobile: Headline sponsor, since July 2024 (replaced Spar).

Primo Sportswear: Technical and kit sponsor (replaced Umbro at the start of last season)

Amstel: Sleeve sponsor (for three years after the deal was signed last week)

Mitsubishi Motors: Vehicle partner since August 2021

Thule: Outdoor and luggage partnership since September 2021

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In June, flood victim Nomthandazo Nama was excited to move into her new home in the eThekwini municipality and KZN human settlements’ Cornubia housing development near Phoenix, north of Durban.

However, in less than five months, she was struggling to fix gaps around her windows and under her doors, where water leaked in and damaged her belongings whenever it rained.

“The contractors didn’t install a gutter,” said Nama.

Her cement floor also began to crumble soon after she moved in.

To prevent further damage, Nama, who is unemployed, said she had to use her social grant to buy “expensive paint” to seal the floor.

Nama’s family was among the thousands who lost their homes in the April 2022 floods. Many are still waiting for their houses to be completed.

One resident complained that he had been allocated a double-storey house although he had mobility issues.

Muzi Ngongoma, a pensioner who uses a walking stick, said he struggles to go downstairs to the bathroom and kitchen. “Officials even asked me if I’d be able to walk up the stairs, because I’m unable to walk a distance. I ended up having to accept the house that was given to me,” he said.

Last week, President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the Cornubia development and was joined by KZN premier Thami Ntuli, human settlements minister Thembi Simelane, and eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba.

They visited phase 2A, where the first 113 homes were handed over in May after lengthy delays. Ramaphosa said that 145 houses were under construction, with the total number of houses being built for the development sitting at 460 by mid 2027.

The president handed over two houses to flood victims and then threw soil on a tree that was already planted.

After the delegation left Cornubia, several residents approached GroundUp to express their concerns about the rapid deterioration of their homes.

They said the pavements were finished in a hurry, about a week before the president’s visit. The areas between the houses and the roads remain unfinished, and there are piles of dirt and rubble.

Thandiwe Mnqayi has had to build a cement platform outside her house to redirect rainwater to prevent flooding.

She said she reported multiple leaks to the municipality, which have still not been fixed. Her shower leaks. The family has to put down a bucket to catch the water so the drain doesn’t overflow and flood the bathroom.

Across the way from Mnqayi, residents have made a makeshift trench to redirect water leaking onto the road.

Later, addressing the media in Phoenix, Ramaphosa acknowledged that many of the houses built by the government in the past were located far from jobs, transport, schools and hospitals.

Government must make sure that housing developments do not fall into disrepair, said Ramaphosa.

According to municipal spokesperson Senzelwe Mzila, drainage issues were being assessed. “Any reports of flooding or defects are investigated and addressed where required … Residents are encouraged to report leaks through the municipality’s service channels for prompt attention,” said Mzila.

Defects, such as leaking windows, are assessed and addressed by the defects management process, said Mzila.

Concerning double-storey homes allocated to disabled beneficiaries, Mzila said the specific case raised can be investigated.

Questions sent to Ndabezinhle Sibiya, spokesperson for the provincial human settlements department, had not been answered at the time of publication. – GroundUp

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Today, South Africans are being called upon to exercise one of the most important rights enshrined in our constitution: the right to vote for public representatives who will serve their communities.

This right was attained through blood, sacrifice and struggle. The stakes could hardly be higher.

These elections take place at a time when many South Africans are battling rising living costs, while others are enduring the collapse of basic service delivery.

As of late yesterday, rubbish bins overflowing with waste lined the streets of Johannesburg suburbs. Refuse collection ground to a halt two weeks ago when workers affiliated with the South African Municipal Workers’ Union went on strike.

In the same metro, some communities have been left without running water for days and, in certain cases, weeks. Johannesburg’s plight reflects the reality facing many municipalities across the country.

The decline in local government has reached alarming levels, driven by widespread mismanagement, corruption, poor planning and plain incompetence.

You, the South African voter, have an opportunity today to make your voice heard through the ballot box.

We cannot tell you which party deserves your vote. That choice belongs to you alone. What we can do is encourage every registered voter to make their way to a polling station and participate in the democratic process.

Your vote may not directly determine who becomes the next mayor. In many major metros and councils, governing coalitions are often forged through negotiations and political horse-trading after the votes have been counted.

However, this remains an opportunity to influence the composition of councils and to choose the councillor who will best represent your community.

No matter how frustrated you may be with the state of affairs, staying away from the polls is not the answer. Choosing not to vote simply allows others to make decisions on your behalf.

SA has come a long way since the dawn of democracy. Significant progress has been made, and the improvement in the living conditions of millions of people should not be underestimated. More households have access to basic services than ever before.

However, the past decade has seen a troubling decline in service delivery standards.

We can help change this reality through voting. Go out in your numbers and vote for the candidate you believe will best serve your interests and those of your community. Democracy works only when citizens participate.

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The battle for control of SA’s municipalities is expected to end in another round of coalition horse-trading, with more hung councils projected and growing numbers of disillusioned voters potentially staying away from the polls.

There is a lot at stake as millions head to cast their ballots on Wednesday, experts say.

Political analyst Tessa Dooms warned that the elections were likely to produce more coalition governments than ever before, with smaller parties and independent candidates potentially holding the balance of power in municipalities across the country.

“In 2021, we ended up with about 70 hung municipalities where coalitions needed to be formed,” she said. “In 2026, it’s estimated that we will have many more hung municipalities that will have coalitions.”

“The big parties will inevitably need the support of smaller parties to govern in metros...” — Political analyst Tessa Dooms

Dooms said the growing number of smaller parties and independent candidates contesting the elections pointed to an increasingly fragmented political environment, in which the major parties could struggle to secure outright majorities.

But beyond the coalition arithmetic, Dooms said the biggest challenge facing political parties was the growing loss of public confidence, warning that voter apathy could emerge as one of the defining features of the elections.

“People have between 9% and 11% trust in politicians and political parties. So people are not going to show up because they simply don’t trust the people who are on the ballot,” she said.

“A lot of people are so disappointed and discouraged that they simply are not going to show up.”

The prospect of low turnout raises questions about the strength of the mandate of parties that eventually take control of municipalities, particularly as communities continue to grapple with poor service delivery, governance failures and unstable political leadership.

MyVoteCounts advocacy lead Noxolo Mfocwa said declining participation should not simply be dismissed as voter apathy but understood as a reflection of the growing distance between citizens and the institutions meant to represent them.

Turnout dropped from about 58% in 2016 to 46% in 2021, the lowest recorded in the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s local government election data between 2000 and 2021.

Mfocwa said the figures also point to a significant generational divide. In 2021, only 35% of registered voters aged between 20 and 29 cast their ballots, compared with 64% of those aged between 60 and 69.

“For some people, it reflects frustration with local government, a lack of trust in political parties, or the feeling that voting does not translate into meaningful change. Others face practical barriers to registration and participation,” Mfocwa said.

“A low turnout should prompt serious questions about the relationship between citizens and the institutions meant to represent them.”

University of the Free State political studies and governance lecturer Sanet Solomon said the country was walking a fine line between voter apathy and political efficacy, with some citizens increasingly choosing to withdraw from an electoral process they believe has failed to deliver meaningful change.

She said socioeconomic pressures and dissatisfaction with basic services were contributing to disengagement, despite high voter registration.

“Even though we argue that the only way to make a difference is to vote, giving yourself the option to opt out of the electoral process because of socioeconomic challenges and basic service issues becomes a way of punishing political parties, but it’s not necessarily an efficient way of doing it,” Solomon said.

The expected fragmentation could be particularly consequential in Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni, where no single party is guaranteed an easy route to governing.

Political analyst Sandile Swana said he was more than 95% confident that coalition arrangements would increase beyond what the country had experienced in previous elections.

He said an ANC-led coalition involving the MK Party, the EFF and ActionSA was among the possible arrangements in Gauteng, depending on the political direction taken by provincial ANC leaders.

He attributed the declining fortunes of established parties to worsening economic conditions, unemployment, declining investment and deteriorating service delivery.

He argued that voters had become increasingly frustrated with political parties that continued to receive electoral support despite failing to meet expectations.

“The ANC and DA are both mediocre. It’s like a student who passes with 40%,” he said.

Dooms warned that while smaller municipalities often had more stable coalitions because councillors were closer to their communities, metro coalitions were frequently undermined by political parties prioritising positions over service delivery.

She said major parties would increasingly have to rely on smaller political formations to govern, particularly in the country’s biggest metros.

“The big parties will inevitably need the support of smaller parties to govern in metros such as Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane.”

She said coalition negotiations driven by national party leaders often failed to reflect the needs and expectations of local communities.

“In the metros, they just need to learn how to become more invested in what the electorate says. This idea of forming national coalitions using national leaders is not a good idea,” she said.

Sowetan

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Kaizer Chiefs coach Fernando da Cruz has tipped his striker Wandile Duba for a Bafana Bafana call-up in the near future.

Amakhosi have struggled to have players in the national team in recent times as they’ve also hardly hit top form. Lebohang Maboe is the only Chiefs player in the current Bafana preliminary squad for two upcoming Afcon qualifiers against Kenya this month.

Duba has scored six goals in eight games across all domestic competitions this season. The 22-year-old striker missed a big chance in the first half of Saturday’s Soweto derby at FNB Stadium, where their biggest foes Orlando Pirates beat them 2-1.

Duba had scored his first career hat-trick to inspire Amakhosi to a 3-0 win over TS Galaxy in the first round of the Carling Knockout at the same venue, four days before the Soweto derby.

“I am very happy for Duba. He is a young player, and so sometimes he has a lot of ups and downs. He must improve his consistency,” Da Cruz said.

“He is a very good young player. He is able to drop back and make deep runs. He is very good in front of the goal, but he must continue to work hard, to listen to the coaches, and maybe if he continues to work hard, he can become a player for Bafana Bafana.”

Bafana coach Pitso Mosimane is expected to announce his final squad, for the Kenya double fixture, before the end of this week. Bafana host Kenya at Orlando Amstel Arena on November 13 at 6pm, before facing them again in Nairobi four days later.

After winning their two opening qualifiers against Guinea and Eritrea during the last Fifa window, SA top Group D of the qualifiers of next year’s Afcon in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.

Meanwhile, Chiefs also expected to conclude the signing of free agent Bafana international Elias Mokwana in the next few days. Mokwane, 27, is unattached after leaving Tunisian side Esperance in September.

Sowetan

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Former Lotto operator Ithuba says it is meeting with its legal team after winning its legal challenge on the government’s decision to award the National Lottery licence to Sizekhaya Holdings.

The Pretoria high court voided the deal and referred the awarding of the licence back to trade, industry and competition minister Parks Tau for reconsideration.

The declaration of invalidity has been suspended for two consecutive periods of six months:

• The first period affords the minister an opportunity to reconsider and decide on the awarding of the licence.
• The second period allows for the negotiation and conclusion of a new licence agreement and, should the licence not be awarded to Sizekhaya, the implementation of appropriate transitional arrangements.

Tau announced the award of the eight-year lottery licence to Sizekhaya Holdings in May 2025. The decision was challenged by the EFF and losing bidders Ringeta and Ithuba.

Ringeta was chosen as the initial preferred bidder by an evaluation committee, a decision that was tossed out by the ministerial committee appointed by Tau to evaluate the bid. The committee recommended Sizekhaya, with Ithuba the reserve bidder.

Ithuba, which had operated the national lottery as the third licence holder since June 2015, went to court to block the decision, arguing the minister’s reasons for awarding the licence to Sizekhaya, and his “record of decision”, had revealed irregularities.

Ithuba welcomed the high court ruling. “The judgment vindicates our stance that the appointment of the South African National Lottery operator must be guided by the principles of fairness, transparency and accountability and must comply with the applicable legal and regulatory framework,” the company said.

“Ithuba Lottery is reviewing the judgment with its legal representatives to consider its implications and the appropriate next steps.”

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