<![CDATA[Sowetan]]>https://www.sowetan.co.zaFri, 06 Nov 2026 01:33:43 +0000en1hourly1<![CDATA[LIVE UPDATES | Northern Cape leads election results capture ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/2026-11-04-live-updates-da-claims-1-million-black-south-african-votes-as-it-overtakes-the-eff/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/2026-11-04-live-updates-da-claims-1-million-black-south-african-votes-as-it-overtakes-the-eff/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 20:10:09 +0000November 5 2026, 21:54

WATCH | ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba outlines the conditions his party wants met before entering into a coalition with another party.

 

November 5 2026, 21:39

WATCH | ANC’s Nomvula Mokonyane says the results show the party is being renewed and that voters still have confidence in the ANC.

November 5 2026, 20:45

Northern Cape leads election results capture as IEC says more than 60% processed

The Northern Cape is leading the capturing of results in the 2026 local government elections with 87% of results captured as the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) continues its counting, verification and auditing processes countrywide.

IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the commission was pleased with the steady progress being made with more than 60% of the results captured by 5pm.

Northern Cape leads election results capture as IEC says more than 60% processed

November 5 2026, 21:00

WATCH | ATM national chairperson Mandisa Mashiya says the party will not consider entering into coalitions with parties it considers corrupt or those whose principles do not align with its own.

November 5 2026, 20:42

DA leads Western Cape as coalitions loom in councils

The DA is maintaining its dominance across much of the Western Cape, but early results from the 2026 local government elections point to a number of closely contested municipal councils where no party has secured an outright majority.

With 50% of the province’s 1,623 voting districts counted, the DA had secured 53.4% of the provincial vote, followed by the ANC on 14%, the PA on 11.1% and the Freedom Front Plus on 5.4%.

DA leads Western Cape as coalitions loom in councils

November 5 2026, 19.01

DA takes majority control of at least four councils in Western Cape, 13 hung still and counting

The DA has secured majority control of at least four out of 24 local municipalities in the Western Cape after the counting and declaration of votes was concluded in at least 17 local councils across the province by 6pm on Thursday.

Western Cape IEC Chief Micheal Hendrickse said that at that time, there were at least 13 hung councils in the province, which means they would have to be governed by coalition arrangements.

DA takes majority control of at least four councils in Western Cape, 13 hung still and counting

View Live Election Results 🗳️

November 5 2026, 17:40

November 5 2026, 17:24

WATCH LIVE| The Political Arena team breaks down the LGE results as they trickle in

November 5 2026, 17:20

November 5 2026, 17:11

DA’s victory projection sparks backlash as rival parties urge patience

The Democratic Alliance’s projection of securing about 59% of the vote in the City of Cape Town has drawn mixed reactions from rival political parties, with some accusing the party of prematurely declaring victory before the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) had completed its counting process.

On Thursday the DA held a mini celebration outside the IEC results centre in Century City, where Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis announced that the party was claiming victory in the metro based on its election projections.

DA’s victory projection sparks backlash as rival parties urge patience

November 5 2026, 17:08

‘We won’t be in bed with corrupt people’: ATM draws hard line on coalition deals

The African Transformation Movement (ATM) has set strict boundaries regarding potential coalition governments, stating it will not get into bed with corrupt individuals or parties.

This comes as the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) continues counting and verifying votes after Wednesday’s local government elections. Final results are expected to be announced in the coming days.

With 43.3% of voting districts currently processed, the ATM sits outside the top 10 parties nationally, holding roughly 0.9% of the vote. The ANC and DA continue to lead the national tally.

‘We won’t be in bed with corrupt people’: ATM draws hard line on coalition deals

November 5 2026, 16:52

NOVEMBER 5 2026, 14:55

WATCH | The DA celebrates a major milestone, claiming one million black votes as it overtakes the EFF. Ashor Saraupen weighs in on the party’s growing support, election gains, and coalition prospects.

November 5 2026, 14:46

November 5 2026 14:02

ActionSA eyes coalition roles as early Tshwane results show gains

ActionSA says it is encouraged by early local government election results in Gauteng, as it appears to be on course to strengthen its position in the City of Tshwane and increase its influence ahead of the 2029 national and provincial elections.

By lunchtime on Thursday, the DA led in Tshwane with 30.6% of the vote, while ActionSA was second at 22.8%.

ActionSA national spokesperson Michael Beaumont said the party was gaining momentum in several wards and had made significant inroads in areas previously dominated by the ANC, which is currently sitting at 21.9%.

ActionSA eyes coalition roles as early Tshwane results show gains

November 5 2026, 13:20

WATCH LIVE | The Political Arena team breaks down the early election results

November 5 2026, 13:05

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November 5 2026 11:47

November 5 2026 11:40

IEC reports faster results processing as Zille happy with DA performance

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says the 2026 local government election results are being processed at a faster pace than during the previous municipal elections, with 18 municipalities having completed the results process by 9am on Thursday.

IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the commission had received 23,444 results slips, representing 35.5% of the 66,073 expected results from local municipalities, metros and district councils across the country’s 23,000 voting stations.

“Of these, 22,983 results slips, representing 34.8%, had been captured into the results system, while 16,791, or 25%, had undergone independent auditing.”

IEC reports faster results processing as Zille happy with DA performance

November 5 2026, 10:43

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

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November 5 2026, 07:21

Local Municipal Elections 2026 : Leading parties
Local Municipal Elections 2026 : Leading parties

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

Local Municipal Elections 2026 - % Support Comparison
Local Municipal Elections 2026 - % Support Comparison
  • 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

November 4 2026, 18:39

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

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November 4 2026, 17:38

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

November 4 2026, 17:17

November 4 2026, 17:05

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

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

November 4 2026, 16:29

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

November 4 2026, 15:14

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

November 4 2026, 14:23

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

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

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

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‘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

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

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

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

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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

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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

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

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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

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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

November 4 2026, 09:52

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

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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

November 4 2026 08:02

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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’

]]>Thapelo Morebudi<![CDATA[Northern Cape leads election results capture as IEC says more than 60% processed ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-northern-cape-leads-election-results-capture-as-iec-says-more-than-60-processed/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-northern-cape-leads-election-results-capture-as-iec-says-more-than-60-processed/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 17:37:13 +0000

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The Northern Cape is leading the capturing of results in the 2026 local government elections with 87% of results captured as the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) continues its counting, verification and auditing processes countrywide.

IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the commission was pleased with the steady progress being made with more than 60% of the 66,073 results captured by 5pm.

Providing a provincial breakdown on vote counting, verification and results, Mamabolo said the Western Cape was in second place with 69% followed by the Eastern Cape at 60% and the Free State at 64%.

Mpumalanga had captured 52% of its results while KwaZulu-Natal stood at 37%.

The North West and Gauteng were both at 35% while Limpopo was trailing at 23%.

“The electoral commission is pleased to report that the capturing and verification of election results are progressing steadily across the country,” he said.

Mamabolo said the commission salutes the thousands of men and women who are pulling out all the stops to ensure the finalisation of the capturing and auditing of results.

By 5pm more than 60% of the 66,073 results had been captured.

“The commission further reports that about 40,202 results slips have been scanned while 32,238 have undergone independent auditing as part of the verification and quality assurance processes,” he said.

Mamabolo said the measures were intended to ensure the accuracy, transparency and integrity of the results before they were finalised.

At municipal level, 65 of the country’s 213 municipalities, representing 31%, had completed the capturing, scanning and auditing processes.

The Northern Cape was leading in municipal completion with 21 of its 26 municipalities completed, representing 81%.

The Western Cape followed with 14 of 25 municipalities completed (56%) while the Free State had completed seven of its 19 municipalities (37%).

In the Eastern Cape, nine of the 33 municipalities had completed the process (27%), compared with five of 17 in Mpumalanga (29%).

KwaZulu-Natal had completed six of its 44 municipalities (14%), the North West two of 18 (11%) and Limpopo one of 22 (5%).

Gauteng was the only province yet to complete the process in any municipality with none of its nine municipalities having reached completion at the time of the briefing.

Mamabolo cautioned that the figures remained provisional until objections material to an election had been finalised.

“The commission remains committed to finalising the results as expeditiously as possible while ensuring that all prescribed verification and quality assurance processes are rigorously followed to safeguard the accuracy, transparency and integrity of the results.

“It is anticipated that the results collation process will be concluded by the weekend. The commission therefore urges political parties, independent candidates, the media and members of the public to exercise caution when interpreting partial results and to rely on officially verified results published by the commission,” he said.

TimesLIVE

]]>Freddy<![CDATA[LIVE RESULTS UPDATE | Track the 2026 local government election results here]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-live-results-update-track-the-2026-local-government-election-results-here/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-live-results-update-track-the-2026-local-government-election-results-here/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 10:36:04 +0000The local government election results are trickling in at the results operation centre at Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, Gauteng.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says the 2026 local government election results are being processed faster than during the previous municipal elections, with 18 municipalities having completed the results process by 9am on Thursday.

Click here to follow the results in real time.

]]>Thapelo Morebudi<![CDATA[Musk has little to show for his huge spending on support for Republicans ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-musk-has-little-to-show-for-his-huge-spending-on-support-for-republicans/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-musk-has-little-to-show-for-his-huge-spending-on-support-for-republicans/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:05:19 +0000Elon Musk spent nearly half-a-billion dollars (R8.19bn) on the US midterm elections but the record expenditure yielded little for the world’s richest man and leader of SpaceX and Tesla.

Just three of the 37 Republicans Musk backed for the House of Representatives won on Tuesday night, compared with 33 who lost. The remaining seven races had not been called by late Wednesday, though Democrats are running ahead in tallies so far.

Of the seven Senate Republican candidates Musk backed, six lost and one race hangs in the balance. In that last race, Alaska, Democrat Mary Peltola is narrowly ahead with 77% of votes counted.

In Texas, where SpaceX and Tesla are headquartered and where Musk plans a chipmaking venture, Musk also came up empty after spending almost $230m on the Senate contest, $5m on the governor’s race and $500,000 on the lieutenant governor vote.

“A lot of Democrats see him as the Mr Money Bags for their Republican opponents and that’s certainly going to colour how they’re going to treat him personally,” said David Hopkins, political science professor at Boston College.

“He’s particularly at risk because he’s been part of the Trump administration and his companies have direct government involvement.”

Shares of SpaceX and Tesla fell 3.9% and 3.3% respectively on Wednesday on investor concerns that a Democratic-controlled Congress would tighten scrutiny of Musk’s Starlink satellite service and his AI data centre projects.

We’ve just sent a message to every millionaire mega donor, to every trillionaire mega donor, every corrupt defender of this broken political system. In this state, in this country, power belongs to the people

James Talarico, US Senator-elect

Musk’s outsized donations, which helped drive spending in this election cycle to a new record, have provoked the ire of Democrats who have said investigations into Musk and his businesses topped their agenda. With their newfound power, Democrats say they are adding campaign finance reform to their wish list.

Musk spent $445m on federal races alone, according to nonpartisan campaign finance watchdog OpenSecrets. The full extent of his money’s reach may never be known. He spent tens of millions more through dark-money nonprofit groups — which disclose less about their donors than political action committees — a person familiar with his campaign spending said, and millions more on state and local elections that do not have uniform disclosure rules, local media outlets have reported.

Musk’s political action committee, America PAC, and his attorney Alex Spiro did not respond to requests for comment.

Spending in recent elections has surged with the rise of super PACs, which can take unlimited donations from wealthy individuals and corporations and spend on campaigns with few restrictions.

Political advertising tracker AdImpact said the Texas Senate contest was the most expensive US non-presidential race ever, with roughly $573.2m in total spending.

“We’ve just sent a message to every millionaire mega donor, to every trillionaire mega donor, every corrupt defender of this broken political system. In this state, in this country, power belongs to the people,” US senator-elect James Talarico said in his acceptance speech late on Tuesday in Austin, Texas.

The Democrat, whom Musk targeted with $153.5m worth of attack ads, compared himself and Musk to the biblical David and Goliath, saying: “Tonight we beat Goliath.”

Democratic candidates significantly outraised Republicans with small-dollar donations, making Republicans more dependent on wealthy donors. Billionaire Michael Bloomberg donated $80m to Democrats in the last weeks of the race.

Incoming Texas governor Gina Hinojosa, who beat Republican governor Greg Abbott, indicated this year that she would challenge Musk’s close relationship with the state if elected.

“Abbott gave control of our Boca Chica Beach to the highest bidder. That beach is our inheritance,” she said. SpaceX launches rockets from Boca Chica Beach in south Texas.

Hinojosa has sued Abbott’s office for access to unredacted emails involving Musk and his companies. Abbott is appealing, according to Houston Public Media.

“This lawsuit is a baseless stunt and nothing more than an act of desperation,” Abbott’s press secretary Andrew Mahaleris said on X.

Musk will face other battles in Washington.

The incoming chair of the House committee on oversight and government reform, US representative Robert Garcia, a California Democrat, plans to introduce legislation closing the “Musk loophole”, referring to a provision in campaign finance law that allows individual executives to spend unlimited personal money on political campaigns, even though their companies are banned from doing so.

Democrats are expected to open a flurry of congressional investigations scrutinising Musk’s companies, their contracts, his work running the department of government efficiency (Doge), involvement in Ukraine and contact with Russia.

Some inquiries have already begun. Democrats on House and Senate investigative committees wrote to SpaceX, the department of defence and the White House last month, looking into the company’s restriction of its Starlink satellite system in Ukraine during a critical time in its war against Russia. Others have questioned Musk on:

  • AI chatbot Grok’s dissemination of sexualised images of women and children;
  • conflicts of interest while he ran Doge; and
  • SpaceX’s federal contracts with Nasa and the defence department.

Early on Wednesday, as the election results became clear, Musk posted on X: “Guess my election-interfering space lasers didn’t work this time.”

Reuters

]]>Evan Vucci<![CDATA[DA declares early victory in Cape Town as Hill-Lewis predicts 58% of vote]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-da-declares-early-victory-in-cape-town-as-hill-lewis-predicts-58-of-vote/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-da-declares-early-victory-in-cape-town-as-hill-lewis-predicts-58-of-vote/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 11:41:18 +0000The DA has declared an early victory in the City of Cape Town, with party leader and mayoral candidate Geordin Hill-Lewis projecting the party will secure about 58% of the vote in Wednesday’s local government elections.

Hill-Lewis made the announcement to party supporters outside the Western Cape results operation centre in Century City on Thursday, despite only about a quarter of the metro’s voting stations having been counted at the time.

The DA was leading with 52.7% of the vote in the preliminary results, strengthening its prospects of retaining its outright majority in the country’s second-largest metropolitan municipality.

“Based on our own collection of all the data from all the voting stations where you all worked late into last night, we can project our results in the City of Cape Town will be around 58% of the vote,” Hill-Lewis said.

The projected result would extend the DA’s more than two-decade control of the metro and potentially secure Hill-Lewis a second term as mayor.

The party’s confidence comes despite pre-election polling suggesting it could face a tougher contest to retain its majority, with some surveys placing its support below the 50% threshold.

Our mission is to get up every morning for the next five years and do everything in our power, every effort that we can, to improve the lives of every person in our city

Geordin Hill-Lewis, DA leader and Cape Town mayoral candidate

Hill-Lewis credited the party’s performance to growing support in townships, including Gugulethu, Khayelitsha, Langa, Mfuleni and Delft, where the DA has traditionally struggled to attract significant numbers of voters.

“The results we are seeing this morning from across many of Cape Town’s townships are nothing short of extraordinary,” he said.

He pointed to ward 40 in Gugulethu, where the DA came within about 200 votes of winning, and ward 98 in Khayelitsha, where its support increased from about 200 votes in the previous election to 1,200 in Wednesday’s poll.

The mayor thanked residents who had voted for the party, and its campaign volunteers and supporters, particularly those who had worked at voting stations across the city.

Addressing the party’s supporters, Hill-Lewis said his first five years as mayor had been an honour and privilege and he looked forward to continuing to serve the city.

He said the DA would focus on economic growth, job creation and service delivery if returned to office.

“Our mission is to get up every morning for the next five years and do everything in our power, every effort that we can, to improve the lives of every person in our city,” he said.

We are working and have worked together as partners with one simple mission: to grow this Cape economy, to get more people into work

Geordin Hill-Lewis

Hill-Lewis committed to working with Western Cape premier Alan Winde to attract investment and create employment opportunities.

“We are working and have worked together as partners with one simple mission: to grow this Cape economy, to get more people into work,” he said.

He pledged to intensify efforts to address sewage spills, saying the city had reduced them by a third over the past five years.

Hill-Lewis described the projected result as an endorsement of the DA’s record in government, while acknowledging that significant challenges remained for residents across the metro.

He said Cape Town could emerge as the only major metropolitan municipality in the country with an outright majority government, as early results elsewhere pointed to the possibility of coalition administrations.

The DA has governed Cape Town since 2006, when it took control of the municipality after the local government elections.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa had not confirmed the final outcome of the election at the time of the DA’s announcement.

Business Day

]]>Democratic Alliance<![CDATA[Mass protests erupt across France as workers strike]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-france-faces-new-protests-as-macron-seeks-to-prevent-repeat-of-october-unrest/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-france-faces-new-protests-as-macron-seeks-to-prevent-repeat-of-october-unrest/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 09:15:00 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

Nationwide demonstrations unfolded largely peacefully, despite some clashes with police in Paris and Lyon, on Thursday during a one-day strike by some public sector workers in a renewed challenge to President Emmanuel Macron.

Several high-profile politicians attended the protests, including presidential candidates Jean-Luc Melenchon and Raphael Glucksmann. They follow demonstrations over living costs, public services and education that have triggered the worst civil unrest France has seen in years.

The Interior Ministry said 600,000 people had participated in protests around the country, while the CGT union, one of the organisers, said 1.6-million had taken part.

In Paris, the mood was festive at the start, featuring a diverse group of participants singing “La Marseillaise” and some carnival-like floats. The one-day strike, which some energy workers and teachers joined, shut the Eiffel Tower, but there were no major disruptions to transport.

However, about two hours in, some of the people at the front of the march clashed with police, who fired tear gas. Paris police said some hooded individuals committed acts of vandalism, which police responded to immediately in order to stop and isolate them.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu will hold a meeting with workers’ and employers’ groups on November 9 about the cost of living and salaries.

Workers and students join forces to press for change

In Lyon, riot police fired tear gas and charged a group of protesters, some of whom were seen shouting anti-police slogans and dressed all in black, with face coverings. The interior ministry said the police there had been confronted by several hundred protesters and that the violence had been contained although tensions remained high.

The unrest comes only five months before a presidential election which could pit far-right candidate Marine Le Pen against hard-left rival Melenchon in a second-round run-off. Macron, who is serving his second term and is unpopular, cannot run again.

“There is a lot of concern about the future, notably the issues of salaries, public services,” said Alice Martinovic, an 18-year-old student participating in the Paris demonstration.

“I hope in the upcoming elections the candidates will really think about this movement and include the opinions of young people, of students, who are now joined by a lot of other workers.”

School ablaze after fireworks are hurled

The interior ministry said people throwing fireworks had caused a fire at a high school near the city of Toulouse in the southwest on Thursday morning, forcing pupils and staff to evacuate the building while firefighters doused the flames.

“This criminal behaviour is an absolute scandal,” said education minister Edouard Geffray said on X.

French high school students and other demonstrators had earlier faced off against riot police in Paris as they blocked a street with rubbish bins on Thursday morning.

While the demonstrations in Lyon and other cities, including Marseille and Nantes began in the morning, the main protest march in Paris set off in the afternoon from Place de la Republique.

Riots on October 17 caught security forces off guard, leaving damaged shops and public buildings across the country and fuelling criticism of Macron’s handling of the crisis. French authorities have since issued curfews, bans on large gatherings and have required groups to take alternate routes for demonstrations that avoided main boulevards, which trade unions have decried.

“The government tried to block the demonstrations. The demonstrations are bigger than ever,” Sophie Binet, head of the CGT trade union, told reporters. She estimated that some 250,000 people were demonstrating across France before the Paris march.

“High school students, pensioners, students, workers, all together. Unity wins,” read one banner at the protest in Lyon.

Police deploy in large numbers

“Our pay has not kept up with inflation,” said Mehdi Dumontroty, a 45-year-old firefighter who was joining the protest in Paris.

“What happened this summer proves that we were right when we said we needed more resources to deal with the crisis that we faced,” he said, referring to wildfires exacerbated earlier this year by intense heat waves.

Around 70,000 police were on duty nationwide, a comparable figure to recent weekends. The French government has defended police tactics while saying any abuses would be investigated.

The strike contributed to a reduction in France’s nuclear output early on Thursday and the education ministry said just over 15% of French teaching staff had joined the strike.

Reuters

]]>Hannah McKay<![CDATA[IEC issue tracker resolves more than 1,000 election-related cases ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-iec-issue-tracker-resolves-more-than-1000-election-related-cases/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-iec-issue-tracker-resolves-more-than-1000-election-related-cases/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 18:03:45 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says its newly enhanced issue tracker has resolved more than 1,000 cases logged since the commencement of special voting as the vote-counting, verification and results-processing phase of the 2026 local government elections continues.

IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the enhanced issue tracker was among the innovations introduced for the elections to improve the reporting and resolution of issues that could potentially disrupt the electoral process.

Speaking during a media briefing on vote counting, verification and results, Mamabolo said the system provides contestants and electoral staff with a mechanism to report challenges affecting the elections.

He said the issue tracker had been integrated into the Virtual Results Operations Centre (ROC), a platform that provides remote access to the commission’s electoral operational systems and its 10 results operations centres.

“This is a mechanism for contestants and electoral staff to report all issues that could impair the election process. The commission has launched the newly enhanced issue tracker which is now a component of the Virtual ROC. The Virtual ROC is a platform for remote access to the electoral operational systems and the 10 results operations centres,” he said.

He said the system had efficiently resolved more than 1,000 cases reported since special voting began.

The update comes amid growing concerns about election-related misinformation and attempts to undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

As previously reported by TimesLIVE, the IEC said its Real411 platform had registered 34 complaints involving misinformation and disinformation, incitement to violence, hate speech and harassment.

The commission has also raised concerns about unsubstantiated election-fraud allegations circulating on social media urging political parties and candidates to use established reporting channels when raising concerns about possible irregularities.

TimesLIVE

]]>Thapelo Morebudi<![CDATA[Political party storms voting station, tears ballot papers ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-political-party-storms-voting-station-tears-ballot-papers/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-political-party-storms-voting-station-tears-ballot-papers/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 17:31:30 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

The Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says it is considering what action should be taken after a political party in the Northern Cape stormed the voting counting centre and allegedly tore up at least 100 ballot papers.

Speaking during a media briefing at the electoral results centre in Midrand, IEC deputy CEO Masego Sheburi said several disruptions had been recorded at counting centres, forcing the commission to relocate at least two of them.

“At Bongani Community Hall, a local political party stormed the voting station where ballots were ready for verification before counting commenced. Not only did they storm the station, but they also interfered with the ballots, tearing at least 100 of them,” he said.

Sheburi said the IEC was working to determine what action to take and what consequences the party should face.

By Thursday afternoon, the commission had completed the capturing and auditing of at least 65 municipalities out of 213.

IEC chairperson Mosotho Moepya, who also spoke at the briefing, said more than 60% of the votes nationally had been captured.

He said 40,202 result slips had been scanned, and 32,238 had undergone independent audits as part of the IEC’s verification and quality assurance processes to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the final results.

“A total of 65 of the 213 municipalities (31%) across the country have completed the capturing, scanning, auditing and exception process,” he said.

Moepya said the commission wants to caution that these figures remain provisional until objections are finalised.

“The commission remains committed to finalising the results as expeditiously as possible, while ensuring that all prescribed verification and quality assurance processes are rigorously followed to safeguard the accuracy, transparency and integrity of the results.”

65 out of 213 municipalities done with capturing and auditing.
65 out of 213 municipalities done with capturing and auditing.

Moepya urged political parties, independent candidates, the media and members of the public to exercise caution when interpreting partial results and to only rely on officially verified results published by the commission.

The commission is expected to announce the final results on Sunday.

Sowetan

]]>YASANTHA NAIDOO<![CDATA[Melania Trump urges ‘humanity over war’ with Ukraine, Russia officials​]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-melania-trump-urges-humanity-over-war-with-ukraine-russia-officials/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-melania-trump-urges-humanity-over-war-with-ukraine-russia-officials/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 17:24:32 +0000By Steve Holland

Melania Trump, president Donald Trump’s wife, joined representatives from Russia and Ukraine on Thursday at a White House event to recognise a recent six-day ceasefire she helped broker in the Russian-controlled city of Oleshky.

The event followed US officials’ ramped-up efforts to secure a deal to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which began when Russian forces invaded Ukraine in early 2022. A trilateral meeting with officials from the US, Ukraine and Russia is planned for November 10-11 in Abu Dhabi.

“We have chosen humanity over war,” the first lady said at the event. “We must use the courage we brought to Oleshky to find common ground through a shared concern for the suffering of innocent people,” she added.

Russia’s president Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev attended the event and met US officials, two people familiar with his plans said.

Ukrainian legislators David Arakhamia and Dmytro Lubinets, the country’s human rights ombudsman, also attended the event.

Arakhamia urged Melania Trump to continue de-escalation efforts to end the war.

The visit marked the first in-person contact between Russian and US officials since Tuesday’s midterm elections, in which Democrats ousted Republicans from control of the US Senate and the House of Representatives in a blow to Trump.

The Democratic majority in Congress starting in January is widely expected to push for more aid for Ukraine and to question several of the Trump administration’s decisions, such as a diesel deal with Russia and the easing of some sanctions.

In recent weeks, Trump increased criticism of Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.

The Kremlin has said it hopes Trump will continue his peacemaking efforts despite the Republican Party’s defeat.

The Kremlin added that preparations were underway for a meeting between Putin, Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit on November 18 to 19 in Shenzhen, China.

Dmitriev previously met with Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, in the White House in 2025. Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, did not invite any Russian officials to the White House.

Dmitriev has been involved in facilitating the release of American detainees in Russia, the reunification of Ukrainian children with their families, and the humanitarian operation in Oleshky.

Reuters

​

]]>Elizabeth Frantz<![CDATA[WATCH | IEC updates the media on progress in late vote-counting]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-watch-live-iec-updates-the-media-on-progress-in-late-vote-counting/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-watch-live-iec-updates-the-media-on-progress-in-late-vote-counting/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 16:32:09 +0000The Electoral Commission of South Africa briefs the media on the progress of the 2026 local government elections.

]]>YASANTHA NAIDOO<![CDATA[WATCH | ‘No party off limits’ say rivals, as coalition talks loom]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-watch-no-party-off-limits-say-rivals-as-coalition-talks-loom/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-watch-no-party-off-limits-say-rivals-as-coalition-talks-loom/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 16:57:07 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

Political parties have signalled their willingness to negotiate with one another to secure governing coalitions, with no party ruling out potential partners as early local government election results point to a further fragmentation of the vote.

On Thursday, ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont said said “talks about talks” on coalitions had already begun.

“At this stage, it’s still talks about talks and there is nothing we can say beyond that because the numbers developing are a big part of these equations,” he said.

Beaumont said the party has committed itself to negotiating with any political party across the political spectrum.

The DA has thrown open the door to coalition talks with any political party willing to put service delivery, sound financial management and clean governance at the centre of its agenda, as the 2026 local government election results point to a new wave of hung councils.

DA federal chairperson Solly Msimanga said the party would not limit its potential coalition partners to political formations with which it shares an ideological background, signalling its willingness to engage rivals across the political spectrum, including the ANC, EFF and MK Party.

He, however, warned the DA will not compromise its principles or trade executive positions for political power, insisting that any coalition agreement must offer practical solutions to the governance and service delivery challenges facing municipalities.

“It’s not about who gets a position. It’s about what we do for these municipalities,” Msimanga explained.

He said the DA was prepared to engage any political party that shared its commitment to stable municipalities, responsible financial governance, infrastructure investment and maintenance, and rooting out corruption and maladministration.

He said the party wanted coalition agreements to be guided by clear principles that would be made public, allowing residents to understand what political parties had committed themselves to and what they could expect from the resulting administrations.

Msimanga declined to identify preferred coalition partners, saying the DA’s priority was to establish stable administrations capable of delivering services and restoring public trust in local government.

The possibility of parties that have previously been political opponents working together has become increasingly apparent, with ActionSA and the EFF also declaring their readiness to negotiate across the political spectrum.

ActionSA has, however, already worked with the ANC and EFF to remove DA mayors in Johannesburg in 2023 and Tshwane in September 2024.

In Tshwane, ActionSA joined the ANC, EFF and other parties in removing then DA mayor Cilliers Brink, paving the way for its candidate, Nasiphi Moya, to become mayor.

Beaumont said any coalition agreement would have to be based on commitments to improving service delivery, fighting corruption and ensuring political stability, particularly around mayoral leadership.

ActionSA would also insist that its coalition partners commit to addressing undocumented immigration.

He said the party had already been approached by other political formations, though formal negotiations had not begun.

Political analyst Tessa Dooms told Sowetan this week 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.

ANC deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane also said the party was open to engaging political formations willing to support stability and its manifesto priorities.

“The ANC is open to talk to everyone and work with everyone, as long as we ensure stability, and as long as we ensure that those six pillars contained in our manifesto are also reflected in what that political party or individuals stand for,” she said.

Mokonyane dismissed reports that the DA had proposed surrendering Nelson Mandela Bay in exchange for control of the Gauteng metros, describing the claims as gossip.

EFF Tshwane mayoral candidate Omphile Maotwe acknowledged that the party was trailing in key Gauteng metros, including Johannesburg and Tshwane, but remained optimistic that results from its strongholds could change the picture.

“It might look as if we are behind, particularly in the metros, but our African wards have not yet come in, and you’ll see the board changing drastically,” she said.

Maotwe attributed the party’s performance partly to low voter turnout, particularly among black voters, arguing that local government elections were primarily about service delivery rather than national political ideology.

Sowetan

]]>Thapelo Morebudi<![CDATA[Comedian Russell Brand found guilty by UK court of rape and sexual assaults]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-comedian-russell-brand-found-guilty-by-uk-court-of-rape-and-sexual-assaults/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-comedian-russell-brand-found-guilty-by-uk-court-of-rape-and-sexual-assaults/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:42:55 +0000Comedian Russell Brand, once one of Britain’s most high-profile broadcasters and star of several Hollywood movies, faces a lengthy jail term after being convicted in a London court on Thursday of raping a woman and sexually assaulting three more.

Prosecutors said Brand, the former husband of US pop singer Katy Perry, was obsessed with sex and used women to satisfy his own desires. One victim said he treated her “like an animal”.

Funny and charming when he wanted to be, but also ruthless, calculating and manipulative, the 51-year-old, who starred in Get Him to the Greek and Arthur, was interested only in getting what he wanted from women, prosecutors told jurors at Southwark Crown Court.

“The evidence showed Brand to be a calculated sexual predator, using his growing fame and power to create situations in which he could pursue women sexually, regardless of what they wanted,” senior Crown prosecutor David Roberts said outside court.

Brand now faces jail and potentially further action as police said he was still under investigation for two other alleged rapes, one involving a then 16-year-old girl.

Brand, known for his loquacious manner and flamboyant appearance, had denied all the charges and ever having non-consensual sex, saying the incidents, which dated back more than 20 years, had either been consensual, reinvented or re-imagined.

He acknowledged in evidence he had dedicated a lot of his life to “reckless philandering and idiocy” but said sexual consent was fundamental.

But, following a four-week trial, the jury found him guilty of rape and three sexual assaults committed between 2004 and 2009. He was acquitted of two other rape charges and an attempted indecent assault.

Judge Joel Bennathan said Brand, who was refused bail, would be sentenced on Monday and faced a lengthy prison term.

Brand is one of the most prominent celebrities in Britain convicted of sex offences in recent times, after BBC newsreader Huw Edwards admitted making indecent pictures of children two years ago, and entertainer Rolf Harris was found guilty of assaulting young girls in 2014.

The case has again raised questions about how the entertainment industry deals with complaints about its stars and detective inspector Laura Nelson, who headed the investigation, said she expected other women to come forward.

“I think there are other victims out there and if they want to report that to us, then we’ll of course take it seriously,” she told Reuters.

Prosecutors had said Brand’s offending spanned the years in which he rose from performing stand-up comedy in small venues to becoming a television presenter and Hollywood film star.

The court heard tearful and forceful testimony from the six complainants, who are all entitled to lifelong anonymity.

None of the women knew one another but all came forward to police in the wake of a TV documentary and press reports in 2023 in which other women made separate allegations against Brand. Those women were not involved in this criminal trial.

Giving evidence, the complainants described a sudden change in Brand’s demeanour during their encounters, saying he became wide-eyed and maniacal.

One woman said that less than a minute after she met him at a party in a bar, he had grabbed her breasts.

Another victim, a self-described fan of Brand, said she had gone to his home for consensual sex but he had then removed a condom and anally raped her. Afterwards, he had ordered her to clear up the bloody mess on the sheets.

Throughout his career, Brand has been open about his battles with drugs and sex addiction, writing about both in his 2007 autobiography “My Booky Wook”.

One witness, a former friend with whom Brand later lived, told the court Brand had bragged he wanted to sleep with 5,000 women. Brand’s former personal assistant, Helen Berger, who worked for him from 2006 to 2007, said he had “an insane sexual appetite”.

“He never seemed happy after sex, more so depressed,” she said in a witness statement.

Brand rose to prominence in Britain hosting a spin-off show to Big Brother on Channel 4.

During the 2000s, he became a regular fixture on television and radio, and went on to star in a number of films. In 2010 he married Perry, a relationship that, he told the court, brought him “staggering fame”. The marriage ended after 14 months.

Nelson said Perry had not been approached as a potential witness, but said she could always come to police if she had any information.

In subsequent years, Brand moved away from mainstream TV and film work and built a large social media following as an anti-establishment commentator, discussing politics, spirituality and religion. He was baptised as a Christian in 2024, after the allegations first became public.

“I hope this conviction sends a clear message that no one is above the law, no matter how famous or powerful they may be,” Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy from London police said.

Reuters

]]>Jack Taylor<![CDATA[WATCH | IEC reports faster results processing as Zille happy with DA performance]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-iec-reports-faster-results-processing-as-zille-happy-with-da-performance/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-iec-reports-faster-results-processing-as-zille-happy-with-da-performance/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 09:37:59 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) says the 2026 local government election results are being processed at a faster pace than during the previous municipal elections, with 18 municipalities having completed the results process by 9am on Thursday.

IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the commission had received 23,444 results slips, representing 35.5% of the 66,073 expected results from local municipalities, metros and district councils across the country’s 23,000 voting stations.

“Of these, 22,983 results slips, representing 34.8%, had been captured into the results system, while 16,791, or 25%, had undergone independent auditing.”

Comparing the progress with the 2021 local government elections, Mamabolo said: “In a comparative election in 2021 and at the same time, only seven municipalities had been completed.”

He said the improved rate of capturing was achieved despite longer ballot papers, an increased number of contestants and expectations of greater voter participation.

Mamabolo emphasised that several safeguards had been put in place to protect the integrity and transparency of the results process.

He described these measures as “an important watermark of a free and fair election”, explaining that results slips were captured in duplicate in the presence of political party agents and observers at counting stations.

“The agents can record and make photographic images of the results. Similarly, the IEC makes an image of the results to facilitate retrieval by contestants where this may be required,” he said.

After counting, results slips are transported in tamper-evident envelopes to the commission’s local capturing sites.

Mamabolo said the capturing process included pre-quality assurance measures, double-blind capturing, scanning of results slips and independent auditing of the entire population of results.

“Meaning that the audit is not a sampled audit, but the entire results are subjected to this important assurance measure,” he said.

He said another layer of protection was the use of an automated results system to identify possible anomalies, including excessive voter turnout and discrepancies in the votes received by a political party at the same voting station across different ballot types.

Meanwhile, DA Joburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille expressed optimism about the party’s performance as the counting process continued, saying she believed it could emerge as Gauteng’s biggest party.

“I’m anticipating that we will be the biggest party in Gauteng, and we’ll see what we can do with the result after this,” she said.

However, Zille was careful to limit her comments to Johannesburg, saying she could not speak on behalf of the party nationally because she was no longer its leader or chairperson of its federal council.

“I can only speak for Johannesburg, where I’m the mayoral candidate,” she said.

Asked whether she believed the results would reflect the party’s hands-on campaign, Zille said she felt the efforts had largely paid off, although reaching voters remained challenging.

“I think for the most part, probably yes, but it’s a bit of a challenge sometimes, you know, to break through,” she said.

Reflecting on voter participation, Zille said she would have preferred a higher turnout but appreciated those who made their way to voting stations.

“It could have been a better turnout, but we were grateful for those who did,” she said.

With the results process continuing, the IEC maintained that its verification and auditing measures were intended to ensure that the figures eventually announced accurately reflected the choices made by voters.

Sowetan

]]>Freddy Mavunda<![CDATA[WATCH | ActionSA eyes coalition roles as early Tshwane results show gains]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-actionsa-eyes-coalition-roles-as-early-tshwane-results-show-gains/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-actionsa-eyes-coalition-roles-as-early-tshwane-results-show-gains/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:00:41 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

ActionSA says it is encouraged by early local government election results in Gauteng, as it appears to be on course to strengthen its position in the City of Tshwane and increase its influence ahead of the 2029 national and provincial elections.

By lunchtime on Thursday, the DA led in Tshwane with 30.6% of the vote, while ActionSA was second at 22.8%.

We’re contesting 105 municipalities, and we believe coalitions will be necessary in many of them.

ActionSA spokesperson Michael Beaumont

ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont said the party was gaining momentum in several wards and had made significant inroads in areas previously dominated by the ANC, which is currently sitting at 21.9%.

“What we happen to know is that we’ve already taken 12 wards from the ANC in Tshwane, including every ward in Atteridgeville other than one. Our results in places like Mamelodi and Soshanguve are now exceeding 50%,” Beaumont said.

“So, actually, ActionSA today has done very well. We are well set to become the second-largest party in Tshwane, and every indication is that residents are responding positively to the track record and leadership of Dr Nasiphi Moya.”

Beaumont added that the party had narrowly missed out on winning a ward in Bronkhorstspruit.

With coalition governments expected to remain a feature of local politics, Beaumont said discussions about possible partnerships had already begun.

“We’re contesting 105 municipalities, and we believe coalitions will be necessary in many of them. We are willing to engage with all political parties, provided there is a commitment to service delivery, stable governance and a serious fight against corruption,” he said.

Meanwhile, in Emfuleni, the DA was leading with 55.6% of the vote, followed by the VF Plus on 17.5%, while the ANC trailed in third place.

DA federal chairperson Solly Msimanga attributed the party’s performance to years of preparation and growing support across communities.

“We have seen significant growth in Emfuleni. In the past, we would win only one ANC ward in a by-election. Now we have won more than 10 wards,” he said.

Msimanga said the DA had also gained ground in Midvaal and parts of Johannesburg, while its support in township communities continued to grow.

He said the party now had more than one million black township voters and intended to build on that support as it looked ahead to the 2029 elections.

Sowetan

]]>Freddy Mavunda<![CDATA[WATCH | Mosimane explains why he picked injured Mokoena and Williams]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/sport/2026-11-05-watch-mosimane-explains-why-he-picked-injured-mokoena-and-williams/https://www.sowetan.co.za/sport/2026-11-05-watch-mosimane-explains-why-he-picked-injured-mokoena-and-williams/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:21:53 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

Bafana Bafana Pitso Mosimane has explained his decisions to include Mamelodi Sundowns duo Ronwen Williams and Teboho Mokoena in his final squad to play Kenya in their Africa Cup of Nations [Afcon] back-to-back qualifiers, despite them having injuries.

While Williams and Mokoena have been recovering and missed recent club fixtures for Sundowns, Mosimane opted to include them in the 27-man squad as they work towards full fitness ahead of the double-header against Kenya.

With the Caf Super Cup final between Sundowns and USM Alger on Sunday at Loftus Versfeld Stadium (3pm), Mosimane said he can only make a decision on whether to drop them should they not feature in that match.

“Well, those are key players for us, who have been leading us to the first Afcon, the second Afcon and the Fifa World Cup and they have been part of the games of Guinea and Eritrea.

“So, they are very important players and we wait for the last time where we say, the doctors must tell me to rule them out. Then we can bring other players like we brought [Tshepang] Moremi last time.

“We have to give them the benefit of the doubt because you and I don’t know. What if they play on Sunday?

Bafana will face Kenya in the first match at Orlando Stadium on November 13 and travel to Nairobi for their return match on November 17

“And I ruled them out today. You will ask me, you have left Teboho and Ronwen [out] and I come to you and say ‘they are injured’.

“We have to be careful with the national team, we wait until the end. It’s a very tricky thing, I’d rather play safe than to regret it, until I know that the player is not available.”

Bafana will face Kenya in the first match at Orlando Stadium on November 13 and travel to Nairobi for their return match on November 17.

Chicago Fire centre back Mbekezeli Mbokazi makes his return from injury, while on-form Siyanda Ndlovu was also included in the squad. Themba Zwane and Nkosinathi Sibisi were dropped, while Thapelo Maseko was not selected due to his injury.

Mosimane said Ndlovu is a perfect replacement for Maseko.

“I think if you look at his last four games, I think he came out with two man-of-the-matches. Scoring and assists are also a little bit of a duplicate of Maseko,” he said.

“I like those wingers, some people like wingers who turn around. I like that. Go inside, one vs one, go behind, those are kind of my wingers.

“He is that kind of player who has intensity, but we still need to check him in the national team because here, it is not the same as club level. We need to create a big pool of players.”

Bafana squad

  • Goalkeepers: Ronwen Williams, Sipho Chaine, Ricardo Goss.
  • Defenders: Aubrey Modiba, Samukelo Kabini, Fawaaz Basadien, Thapelo Morena, Thabang Matuludi, Olwethu Makhanya, Ime Okon, Lebone Seema, Mbekezeli Mbokazi.
  • Midfielders: Teboho Mokoena, Thalente Mbatha, Sphephelo Sithole, Bathusi Aubaas, Brooklyn Poggenpoel.
  • Strikers: Iqraam Rayners, Lyle Foster, Cassius Mailula, Oswin Appollis, Puso Dithejane, Tashreeq Matthews, Relebohile Mofokeng, Luther Singh, Tshepang Moremi, Siyanda Ndlovu.

Sowetan

]]>ANTONIO MUCHAVE<![CDATA[27 suspects arrested for election-related offences on voting day ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-27-suspects-arrested-for-election-related-offences-on-voting-day/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-27-suspects-arrested-for-election-related-offences-on-voting-day/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 16:15:01 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

Police arrested 27 suspects across the country on voting day for election-related offences.

South African Police Service deputy national commissioner Lt-Gen Tebello Mosikili revealed the numbers on Thursday during a media briefing at the Electoral Commission of SA results centre in Midrand.

“On voting day specifically, 85 incidents were reported across the country with 57 case dockets registered and 27 suspects arrested,” she said.

The reported cases included 32 relating to contraventions of the Electoral Act, four assaults, two cases of malicious property damage, two of intimidation, one of theft, two of crimen injuria, one case of drunk and disorderly conduct, one public violence case, one business burglary and one fraud case.

Here’s the provincial breakdown of the cases:

  • Eastern Cape: 10 cases, four arrests.
  • Free State: two cases, two arrests.
  • Gauteng: eight cases, seven arrests.
  •  KwaZulu-Natal: 15 cases, six arrests.
  • Limpopo: 11 cases, four arrests.
  • Mpumalanga: three cases, three arrests.
  • North West: three cases, no arrests yet.
  • Northern Cape: one case, one arrest.
  • Western Cape: four cases, no arrests yet.

Mosikili said the fact that 27 suspects were arrested demonstrates the responsiveness and operational effectiveness of law enforcement agencies.

“These interventions reinforce a clear position that the electoral environment is protected by the rule of law, and intimidation, violence, electoral misconduct and criminality will not be tolerated.”

She also said between Monday and Tuesday during special voting, 65 criminal case dockets were registered, with 32 suspects arrested.

  • Eastern Cape: eight cases registered, with three suspects arrested. 
  • Free State: four cases registered, no arrests yet.
  • Gauteng: seven cases registered, three suspects arrested. 
  • KwaZulu-Natal: 16 cases registered, eight suspects arrested. 
  • Limpopo: 13 cases registered, 11 suspects arrested. 
  • Mpumalanga: five cases registered, four suspects arrested. 
  • North West: four cases registered, three suspects arrested.
  • Northern Cape: No cases. 
  • Western Cape: eight cases registered, no arrests.

Mosikili said the figures demonstrate that the security response was not limited to maintaining visibility and preventing incidents.

“It extended to active law enforcement, the apprehension of suspects, investigations and the advancement of criminal matters through the justice system.”

Sowetan

]]>Thapelo Morebudi<![CDATA[Fresh bomb hoaxes hit flights across Europe]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-fresh-bomb-hoaxes-hit-flights-across-europe/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-fresh-bomb-hoaxes-hit-flights-across-europe/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 16:14:31 +0000A series of hoax bomb threats hit European airlines from Ireland to Bulgaria on Thursday morning for the second time this week, with some of at least 25 affected flights making unplanned landings or escorted by fighter jets.

While no country has attributed blame for the threats, ⁠they come at a time when many European officials have accused Russia of masterminding sabotage and “hybrid attacks” — often cheap, easily deniable and not expected to trigger an armed response.

Denmark, Poland and Romania, all affected by Thursday’s disruptions, have previously accused Moscow directly, while Germany blamed Russia for an attack on Leipzig airport in August. Britain has blamed Russia in the past but linked Iran to a suspected plot to attack a US air base. Both Russia and Iran deny any involvement.

Eric Schouten, head of the aviation security group Dyami, said most of the countries affected supported Ukraine in its war against Russia’s invasion.

“From a geopolitical view, I’m thinking, you always have to think about the scenario of hybrid warfare, where a country in this way — today we are looking at Russia, right? — is attacking us on multiple fronts, from railways to supermarkets to blood banks, most recently. The energy sector, the internet sector, and the aviation sector are among those,” he said.

Bulgaria’s air force said its fighter jets had escorted three airliners to the ground. Officials said that Ryanair planes from Copenhagen and Madrid to Sofia landed as planned while a flight from London to Sofia was diverted to Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second city.

Spanish authorities received three emailed bomb threats in under 20 minutes, involving two Air Europa departures from Madrid to Paris and four inbound Iberia flights from Rome and Milan, Spain’s Guardia Civil said.

Several aircraft were halted or returned to their stands and passengers were disembarked while planes were inspected.

Two Easyjet flights from Britain, one flight from Ireland and one from Greece landed as scheduled in Prague after receiving bomb threats. Czech police said they had assessed the credibility of the threats as low.

Italy’s air force escorted a Finnair plane coming from Helsinki to its scheduled landing in Rome, a person close to the matter said. Rome’s airport operator said there had been no disruption to services.

Another Finnair flight from Helsinki, operated by Jettime, landed as normal in Vienna after receiving a bomb threat, Finnair said.

The Italian news agency ANSA said two planes had landed safely in Milan after receiving threats.

A LOT flight from Warsaw landed as scheduled in Brussels after a security warning, the Polish airline said. In Warsaw, a LOT flight to Paris was stopped as it was taxiing towards take-off and passengers were transferred to another aircraft as a precaution, it added.

A Wizz Air flight from Milan landed safely in Bucharest, Romania’s intelligence agency said. Italian media reported that a Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw had been diverted to Vienna.

Aer Lingus flight EI402 from Dublin to Rome landed safely on Thursday at Evreux airport, 100km west of Paris, the Irish airline said.

In Denmark a military bomb disposal unit searched two planes at Copenhagen airport, but did not find any devices, police said.

Eliran Almog, CEO of aviation cybersecurity firm Cyviation, said the repeated bomb threats could serve both to disrupt operations and to observe how airlines, airports and national authorities respond.

“These aviation threats are also occurring in the same period as cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration systems across Europe,” Almog said.

“Different essential services are experiencing disruption that carries economic costs and can undermine public confidence.”

On Tuesday, at least seven flights and a cruise ship received bomb threats, causing disruption at airports across Europe, although no devices were discovered.

This week, unidentified hackers for the second time shut down fridges in supermarkets in several European countries, also affecting French blood banks.

Reuters

]]>123RF<![CDATA[Magcaba seeks redemption when he takes on Makhoba in Maritzburg]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/sport/boxing/2026-11-05-magcaba-seeks-redemption-when-he-takes-on-makhoba-in-maritzburg/https://www.sowetan.co.za/sport/boxing/2026-11-05-magcaba-seeks-redemption-when-he-takes-on-makhoba-in-maritzburg/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 16:03:36 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

The journey for Ntethelelo “Smiling Assassin” Magcaba to challenging SA junior bantamweight champ Moyisi “Pretty Boy” Booi begins tomorrow afternoon at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall.

Rated No 4 for Booi’s belt, Magcaba, from Cato Ridge, will welcome Gcina “Double G” Makhoba at the venue where he fought his first professional boxing match in October 2022.

Makhoba is from Sibongile, Dundee. The vacant KwaZulu-Natal junior bantamweight belt will be on the line.

“There is just too much at stake for Ntethelelo to lose this fight,” said Mkhize, whose charge will make a comeback after losing to Booi at East London’s Orient Theatre in September last year.

“The intention with this fight against Makhoba is to win so our rating improves and we will be in favourable position to challenge Booi.”

Mkhize is wary of Makhoba’s accomplishments and experience but he is sure Magcaba will win back the provincial title he vacated after capturing the ABU SAC belt.

“I have seen Makhoba grow as a fighter and he’s more of a boxer than a fighter,” said Mkhize. “We have a plan and people from Maritzburg will be happy.”

Mkhize paid tribute to Magcaba’s uncle, former professional boxer and trainer Alex Mchunu, for his wisdom.

Mchunu introduced Magcaba to boxing at the time the retired boxer was still in charge of the careers of his sons, Thabiso and Thabo, and Magcaba’s sister, Nomvelo.

Mchunu also honed Mkhize’s skills as a boxing trainer.

“I watched Ntethelelo’s fight against Moyisi and advised on what to do going forward,” said Mkhize. “I have no doubt we will be crowned on Saturday.”

Makhoba is a former WBF world champ who intends to redeem himself after suffering four consecutive losses to Charlton “Baby Pain” Malajika, Nkosinathi Sibiya and Ndabezinhle “Pressure Cooker” Phiri.

Interestingly, Magcaba will be headlining a tournament that will be staged by his sister who trades under the Mvelo Boxing Promotions banner.

Sowetan

]]>SUPPLIED<![CDATA[Five things to know about USM Alger ahead of Sundowns clash ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/sport/2026-11-05-five-things-to-know-about-usm-alger-ahead-of-sundowns-clash/https://www.sowetan.co.za/sport/2026-11-05-five-things-to-know-about-usm-alger-ahead-of-sundowns-clash/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 16:00:00 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

USM Alger arrived in Pretoria ahead of the Caf Super Cup final against Mamelodi Sundowns at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Sunday at 3pm, looking to avenge the two defeats they suffered against Masandawana in the Champions League six years ago and lift the title.

We pick five key factors you need to know about them ahead of the match on Sunday:

  1. The Algerian side will be competing for their second Caf Super Cup, having previously lifted the trophy in 2023 after a 1–0 win over Egyptian powerhouse Al Ahly.
  2. They qualified for this match after winning the Caf Confederation Cup, edging Egypt’s Zamalek 8–7 on penalties after a 1–1 aggregate draw in a dramatic final.
  3. USM Alger and Sundowns have met twice before in the official Caf competition during the 2019/20 Champions League group, where Masandawana won both encounters.
  4. The winner of the title will pocket $500,000 (about R8.2m), while the runners-up take home $250,000 (R4.1m).
  5. They are managed by legendary Senegalese tactician Lamine N’Diaye, who is renowned across the continent for having previously won the Champions League, Confederation Cup, and Super Cup.

Sowetan

]]>Djaffar Ladjal/BackpagePix<![CDATA[WATCH | The Political Arena team breaks down the LGE results as they trickle in ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/2026-11-05-watch-live-the-political-arena-team-breaks-down-the-lge-results-as-they-trickle-in/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/2026-11-05-watch-live-the-political-arena-team-breaks-down-the-lge-results-as-they-trickle-in/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 15:23:54 +0000

Arena Holdings’ senior politics reporters are coming to you live from the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) results centre at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, Gauteng, to unpack the early election results and what they mean for municipalities.

TimesLIVE

]]>Thapelo Morebudi<![CDATA[One survivor found three days after Zaporizhzhia bombing that killed 43]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-one-survivor-found-three-days-after-zaporizhzhia-bombing-that-killed-43/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-one-survivor-found-three-days-after-zaporizhzhia-bombing-that-killed-43/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 15:29:39 +0000Rescuers found a survivor three days after Russia bombed an aid distribution point in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday, adding the death toll now stood at 43.

Zelensky said on Telegram that dozens more people might still be trapped under the debris. Rescue work and efforts to identify the bodies are continuing.

“As of now, 43 people have been confirmed killed. One of the people reported missing was found alive today,” he said.

“Every day, Russia attacks our cities and communities with drones and missiles.”

Zaporizhzhia police said on Telegram that up to 33 people remained buried beneath the rubble in the village of Komyshuvakha.

Ukraine’s national police shared a video on Telegram showing rescuers loading bodies in white sacks into a car and an excavator working on the site to clear the rubble.

Bodycam footage from one of the police officers killed, which Reuters verified, showed the moments before a second Russian strike hit, destroying a shelter where residents were hiding after a radio warning.

Ukraine’s national police said the strikes included a 3-tonne FAB glide bomb, a weapon that defence intelligence websites say carries around 1.4 tonnes of explosives.

Russia’s defence ministry said the attack targeted Ukrainian military units around Komyshuvakha and two other settlements, and that up to 25 Ukrainian servicemen were killed.

Moscow and Kyiv both deny deliberately targeting civilians.

Reuters

]]>Sergiy Chalyi<![CDATA[AKA murder trial adjourned to April 2027]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-aka-murder-trial-adjourned-to-april-2027/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-aka-murder-trial-adjourned-to-april-2027/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 15:26:59 +0000The trial of the seven men charged with the murders of Kiernan “AKA” Forbes and Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane was adjourned in the Durban high court to April 2027.

Lindokuhle Thabani Mkhwanazi, Lindani Zenzele Ndimande, Siyanda Eddie Myeza, Mziwethemba Harvey Gwabeni, Lindokuhle Lindo Ndimande, Siyabonga Gezani Ndimande and Malusi Dave Ndimande face several charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of murder, multiple counts of attempted murder, as well as firearm- and ammunition-related offences.

The pair were killed outside the now defunct Wish restaurant on Florida Road on February 10 2023.

Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, KwaZulu-Natal NPA spokesperson, said the trial, which commenced in early October, was set down until November 6.

“It has seen the state lead evidence from more than 20 witnesses presenting evidence thus far that includes video footage, vehicle-tracking data, ballistic evidence and financial evidence.”

She said the matter had been adjourned to April 12 to May 14 2027, for the continuation of the trial and the presentation of further evidence in the state’s case.

All seven accused will remain in custody.

TimesLIVE

]]>Sandile Ndlovu<![CDATA[Zille feeling ‘positive’ as DA leads Joburg while vote counting continues ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-zille-feeling-positive-as-da-leads-joburg-while-vote-counting-continues/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-zille-feeling-positive-as-da-leads-joburg-while-vote-counting-continues/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:54:09 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

DA Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille says she is feeling positive about the local government election results so far, with her party currently leading in Johannesburg.

This comes as the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) counts and verifies votes following the conclusion of the 2026 local government elections on Wednesday. Final results are expected to be announced in the coming days.

As counting continues, the DA holds an early lead in Johannesburg. As of 4.20pm, with 22% counted, the party leads with 39.71% of the vote.

Speaking to TimesLIVE at the National Results Operations Centre (ROC) on Thursday, Zille expressed confidence that the DA could secure Johannesburg.

“I think we will be the biggest party, but we’ll see what we do with the results afterwards,” Zille said. “I feel positive, and I hope it will go well.”

Zille said she was hopeful that the effort she put into her hands-on campaign would be reflected in the final outcome, though she remained pragmatic.

“For the most part, it’s a bit of a challenge to break through sometimes,” she noted.

Having cast her vote at Emmarentia Primary School on Wednesday, Zille described her voting experience as positive and commended voters who participated.

“It was a decent turnout, and we are grateful to those who turned out to vote.”

Briefing reporters on Thursday, IEC chief electoral officer Sy Mamabolo said the commission had received 23,444 results slips, representing 35.5% of the 66,073 expected across metropolitan, local, and district councils.

Of these, 22,983 result slips (34.8%) had been entered into the system, and 16,791 (25%) had cleared independent auditing.

TimesLIVE

]]>Freddy Mavunda<![CDATA[WATCH | Not yet 100% satisfied, Ouaddou not taking Sekhukhune lightly ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/sport/2026-11-05-watch-not-yet-100-satisfied-ouaddou-not-taking-sekhukhune-lightly/https://www.sowetan.co.za/sport/2026-11-05-watch-not-yet-100-satisfied-ouaddou-not-taking-sekhukhune-lightly/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:19:17 +0000Orlando Pirates may be on a run of prolific form of late, but coach Abdeslam Ouaddou insists he’s not yet 100% satisfied with his team.

“The confidence is there, especially because we’ve been so balanced in the games we’ve played. We have kept our values, solid at the back, scoring goals, and that is something that can give confidence to the players,” Ouaddou said at a press conference at the PSL offices in Parktown on Thursday.

“We are not perfect and every game is another battle where we have to improve. Even though we are doing well, I am not 100% convinced about some areas that we still need to work on. I want to be satisfied with these areas, especially in terms of controlling games.”

Pirates, who have won eight of their past 10 fixtures with a draw and one defeat across all competitions, hope to advance to the Carling Knockout semifinals when they host Sekhukhune United in the quarterfinals at Orlando Amstel Arena on Saturday (3pm).

However, Ouaddou expects this clash to be one of their toughest yet, reasoning that having already beaten Sekhukhune three times this season makes them dangerous, while he’s also fazed by the presence of Papi Zothwane on their bench after he frustrated them when he was still coaching Richards Bay last season.

“It will be one of the most difficult games we’ve ever played. Why? Because we have already hurt Sekhukhune three times this season. Again, this coach [Zothwane] who is in charge now gave us a lot of problems when he was at Richards Bay last season,” Ouaddou said. “We need to be at the height of our form to win this game. We need to defend our title.”

Pirates have already beaten Sekhukhune 2-0 in the league this season, also beating them 1-0 and 3-0 in the two-legged MTN8 semifinals. Zothwane managed to hold Pirates to a 2-all draw when he was Bay’s co-coach in the second round of the league last season.

Sowetan

]]>Sydney Mahlangu/BackpagePix<![CDATA[Ballon d’Or winner Kane signs to stay at Bayern until 2029 ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/sport/2026-11-05-ballon-dor-winner-kane-signs-to-stay-at-bayern-until-2029/https://www.sowetan.co.za/sport/2026-11-05-ballon-dor-winner-kane-signs-to-stay-at-bayern-until-2029/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:19:46 +0000Ballon d’Or winner Harry Kane has signed a contract extension with Bayern Munich until the end of June 2029, the Bundesliga club said on Thursday, in a move underlining its long-term ambitions, especially for the Champions League.

The England captain joined Bayern from Tottenham Hotspur in 2023 and has since helped the German side win two Bundesliga titles, the German Cup and two German Super Cups.

The 33-year-old striker has scored 156 goals in 161 appearances in all competitions for Bayern and capped his prolific spell in Munich by winning the Ballon d’Or last week.

He was the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001.

“I feel right at home at FC Bayern,” Kane said. “I love the club, the fans and the city of Munich. We have a fantastic team and, in Vincent Kompany, a fantastic manager.”

“I know we will be challenging for Champions League titles,” Kane told a press conference.

“If I did not believe we had a chance for the big trophies, I would look at a different avenue to push myself.”

Kane has frequently been linked with a move back to England, where he remains 47 goals shy of Alan Shearer’s Premier League record of 260 goals.

But the striker said in August that the Premier League no longer holds the same appeal for him as he is focused on his career in Germany.

Since joining us in 2023, he has achieved extraordinary things with his goals, his influence on the game and as a role model both on and off the pitch.

Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen

“It would have been easy to stay in the Premier League all my life, but the fact that I got out of my comfort zone has been a big plus for me,” Kane said.

Bayern did not disclose financial details of the agreement. However, German media reported that the extension is the most lucrative contract in the club’s history and part of a long-term commitment to the England captain.

“Since joining us in 2023, he has achieved extraordinary things with his goals, his influence on the game and as a role model both on and off the pitch,” Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen said. “His contract extension is a commitment to FC Bayern and to a story that is far from over.”

Kane has finished as the Bundesliga’s top scorer in each of his seasons with Bayern and was named Germany’s Footballer of the Year in 2026.

He has also twice won the European Golden Shoe, awarded to Europe’s leading league goalscorer, and captained England to a third-place finish at this year’s World Cup.

Reuters

]]>Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs<![CDATA[EXPLAINER | Unrest grows as France debates minimum wage hike]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-explainer-unrest-grows-as-france-debates-minimum-wage-hike/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-explainer-unrest-grows-as-france-debates-minimum-wage-hike/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:03:54 +0000

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Paris ― France faced its latest nationwide protests on Thursday after weeks of unrest over the cost of living and public services, with trade unions and student groups mobilising demonstrators across the country.

The movement began in late September with protests by students over underfunded schools but has broadened into a wider challenge to the government, triggering some of the worst street violence and looting that France has experienced in years.

Here is the latest on the situation in France.

The government’s response

The government has mobilised 70,000 police and other security officers to ensure that the 220 demonstrations planned on Thursday pass peacefully.

It hopes to avoid a repeat of nationwide demonstrations on October 17 that caught security forces off guard and spiralled into a wave of clashes and looting.

The government has indicated it is considering an increase in the minimum wage, which has stood at €1,478 net per month since June, when it was increased by €35 to reflect higher inflation.

France’s biggest union, the CFDT, is calling for an increase of at least €100 net per month.

The government has so far resisted broad measures to address protesters’ anger over the cost of living as it struggles to keep the budget deficit under control.

For students, it has pledged to send about 3,000 teachers, who are fully qualified but have not yet started work, to fill staffing gaps. It has also promised smaller class numbers, further increases in staff numbers next year and €4bn in loans for school renovations.

Grassroots protest movement

A grassroots protest movement backed by some unions is set to hold a new round of demonstrations on Saturday as it has done weekly since the October 17 protest.

Some unions and housing rights associations have called for pan-European protests on November 20-22.

The unrest has dealt a blow to household confidence, which fell in October to its lowest level since June 2013, according to the statistics office’s monthly consumer survey.

The turmoil, which has also dented business confidence, complicates an ongoing fiscal crisis and adds to pressure from higher energy prices resulting from the Iran war.

The minority government is struggling to pass spending cuts in France’s deeply divided parliament as part of its 2027 budget and is at risk of being toppled by opposition parties if a compromise cannot be found with at least some of them.

The unrest has added to investors’ concerns over France’s fiscal outlook, weighing on stocks, increasing pressure on government debt and pushing the yield on the 10-year benchmark bond to 5.14% last month, its highest since 2002.

Will the unrest spread?

France’s protests are not unique in Europe, though they have been among the biggest in a wave of Gen Z-led demonstrations seen across the continent this year.

Hooded rioters looted stores in Frankfurt late last Saturday after tens of thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Germany’s biggest cities to demand better education and lower living costs.

Clashes erupted in Italy last month between police and protesters during demonstrations over poor public services and the rising cost of living, while Spain and Portugal have faced protests over housing.

Presidential election

President Emmanuel Macron will step down at next year’s election after a decade in power. Polls indicate the unrest is benefiting far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen, who is already the frontrunner in polls to replace him and has long talked tough on law and order.

Hard-left candidate Jean-Luc Mélenchon has also seen a poll bump even though he has faced criticism from the government for backing the protesters’ demands, criticising the authorities’ handling of the crisis and not clearly condemning the violence. He said Macron should yield to the protesters or leave office.

Macron’s former prime minister Edouard Philippe, now a centre-right presidential candidate, is trailing both Le Pen and Melenchon, which means he may not make it into the May 2 runoff if he does not regain momentum.

Reuters

]]>Denis Balibouse<![CDATA[EXPLAINER | Ways to protect senior citizens from unauthorised debt review ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-explainer-ways-to-protect-senior-citizens-from-unauthorised-debt-review/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-explainer-ways-to-protect-senior-citizens-from-unauthorised-debt-review/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 10:54:55 +0000

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Older South Africans struggling with debt are being warned to beware of unsolicited offers promising to slash their monthly repayments as unscrupulous operators may place them under debt review without their knowledge or consent.

FNB executive head of collections Patricia Temba said pensioners must understand the consequences of debt review before signing documents or agreeing to repayment arrangements.

She said older consumers living on fixed retirement incomes are particularly vulnerable to promises of financial relief, especially when debt continues to eat into their limited monthly incomes.

Patricia Temba, executive head of collections at FNB. Picture: Supplied
Patricia Temba, executive head of collections at FNB. Picture: Supplied

According to FNB’s 2026 Retirement Insights Survey, 27% of lower-to middle-income people older than 60 are surprised to still have debt at their age, with repayments undermining their financial freedom.

“Debt is a significant concern for many seniors, which may make quick-fix offers especially appealing. Consumers must therefore know the difference between legitimate debt review and predatory practices,” cautioned Temba.

Her warning comes amid cases of consumers discovering they have been placed under debt review without their consent, leaving them facing unexpected deductions and difficulties accessing credit.

One case involves a couple who allegedly found themselves under debt review without their knowledge. Sowetan recently reported Annie Bodlo discovered the problem when she was refused vehicle finance ahead of her retirement.

Don’t assume an unauthorised listing cannot be challenged. Raise it promptly through the appropriate channels and keep a clear record of what happened

Her husband, Matthews Duma Bodlo, was undergoing cancer treatment when the couple raised concerns about deductions from their accounts. The deductions reportedly exceeded R20,000, highlighting the financial consequences of an arrangement they said they never authorised.

Temba said debt review is a legitimate intervention for people who are genuinely over-indebted, but it should never be sold as a savings scheme or government benefit.

A registered debt counsellor must assess a consumer’s finances before determining whether they qualify. If they are over-indebted, the counsellor negotiates with credit providers to restructure repayments.

Consumers under debt review cannot enter into new credit agreements until their existing debts have been settled. Their credit profiles reflect their debt review status, potentially restricting access to further credit.

Temba shared five precautions to protect older consumers.

Be wary of unsolicited offers

Pensioners should be suspicious of unexpected calls, SMSes and WhatsApp messages promising dramatically reduced repayments. They should never agree to anything during an unsolicited call. Instead, they should obtain the caller’s details and independently verify the organisation.

Understand what you are signing

Consumers must read every document before signing and establish what their repayments will be, which fees will be charged and how the process will affect their ability to borrow.

They should never disclose banking passwords, PINs or one-time passwords to anyone claiming to offer debt relief.

Verify the debt counsellor

Debt counsellors must be registered with the National Credit Regulator (NCR). Consumers should obtain the counsellor’s name and registration number and verify these against the regulator’s records.

However, registration alone does not prove the person making contact is genuine, as scammers may impersonate registered professionals.

Monitor your credit profile and accounts

Older consumers should regularly check their credit profiles, bank statements and notices from credit providers for unfamiliar repayment arrangements or unexpected debt review listings.

Families can help pensioners scrutinise suspicious messages and documents without taking control of their financial decisions.

Challenge unauthorised enrolment

Anyone who discovers they have been placed under debt review without consent should immediately contact their bank and the counsellor named on the application.

They should request a copy of the application and proof of consent, lodge a complaint with the NCR and keep records of all correspondence, calls and reference numbers.

Temba also warned consumers against paying people who promise to remove them from debt review immediately as legitimate removal must comply with legal requirements.

“Don’t assume an unauthorised listing cannot be challenged. Raise it promptly through the appropriate channels and keep a clear record of what happened.”

She advised consumers to approach their credit providers first to explore alternative repayment arrangements before considering debt review.

“Getting help with debt should never mean surrendering control of your finances.”

Sowetan

]]>suppli<![CDATA[Losing Agoa will have limited effect on car exports to US, says Naamsa]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/motoring/2026-11-05-losing-agoa-will-have-limited-effect-on-car-exports-to-us-says-naamsa/https://www.sowetan.co.za/motoring/2026-11-05-losing-agoa-will-have-limited-effect-on-car-exports-to-us-says-naamsa/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 14:00:00 +0000The US decision to remove South Africa from its preferential trade programme is expected to have a limited additional impact on vehicle exports, as punitive tariffs have already driven an 83.2% decline in shipments to the US market.

This is the view of automotive industry body Naamsa, which said the proposed termination of South Africa’s eligibility for the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) will add to uncertainty in the bilateral trade relationship but is unlikely to worsen the industry’s existing export challenges.

South African vehicle exports to the US fell from 24,682 units in 2024 to just 4,136 in 2025, after the introduction of 25% tariffs on imported vehicles under section 232 of the US Trade Expansion Act in April last year. Tariffs on automotive components followed in May.

The tariffs apply independently of Agoa eligibility and have substantially eroded the commercial value of the preferential access previously enjoyed by South African manufacturers.

Naamsa said the Agoa termination, effective from January 1 2027, would not close the US market to South African automotive products. Exports would remain possible, though subject to the applicable US tariff regime.

Mercedes-Benz South Africa is the car manufacturer most exposed to the effect of US tariffs, with almost all locally manufactured vehicle exports to the country comprising C-Class models built at its KuGompo City plant in the Eastern Cape.

Agoa has generated R28.6bn in export revenue for South Africa’s automotive industry, with 24,681 vehicles exported under the programme, according to Naamsa

Mercedes-Benz has confirmed that the newly facelifted C-Class will be manufactured locally, though the factory’s longer-term future remains uncertain amid US trade barriers and declining export volumes.

Other major exporters, including Ford and BMW, have reduced their exposure to the US market, focusing instead on Europe and other international destinations. BMW South Africa previously exported large volumes of X3s to the US from its Rosslyn plant, but exports of the new-generation model are now largely destined for markets elsewhere. Ford South Africa exported a small number of Rangers to the US in 2025.

Agoa has generated R28.6bn in export revenue for South Africa’s automotive industry, with 24,681 vehicles exported under the programme, according to Naamsa.

The industry body said the programme had helped strengthen trade and investment ties between the two countries over several decades, supporting manufacturing integration and the development of local supply chains.

The automotive industry remains a big contributor to the domestic economy. Vehicle and component exports reached a record R291bn in 2025, while the sector contributes 5.2% to GDP and sustains about 498,000 jobs across the formal economy.

Naamsa said manufacturers were exploring alternative export markets, including Canada, while South Africa could also leverage existing trade arrangements with the EU, UK and African markets.

However, it cautioned that diversification would take time and could not replace the value of established markets and long-standing investment partnerships.

“The US remains an important trading partner, and preserving commercially viable access is in the interests of both economies,” it said.

Naamsa said it would continue engaging with the department of trade, industry and competition and other stakeholders, providing economic analysis and industry evidence to support discussions aimed at securing a sustainable trade outcome.

]]>MERCEDES <![CDATA[Midterms over, Democrats plunge into wide-open 2028 presidential race]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-midterms-over-democrats-plunge-into-wide-open-2028-presidential-race/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-midterms-over-democrats-plunge-into-wide-open-2028-presidential-race/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:06:30 +0000With the US midterms over, Democrats are turning to what could become one of their most crowded and unpredictable presidential primaries in decades, a 2028 contest likely to expose the party’s divide over how to win back the White House.

No Democrat has emerged as a clear favourite in a field that could attract dozens of contenders, while Republicans have a smaller group of widely discussed candidates, led by Vice-President JD Vance and secretary of state Marco Rubio, to succeed President Donald Trump, who is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term.

Potential Democratic candidates, including sitting governors and senators, have spent months cultivating donors, visiting states with early nominating contests and raising their national profiles, positioning themselves for a race that strategists expect to begin in earnest now that the midterms are over.

The sweeping victories by Democrats on Tuesday, when voters delivered a sharp rebuke to Trump and his agenda, will intensify discussions within both parties about how to win over an electorate unhappy with the country’s direction.

Despite their resounding victories on Tuesday, Democrats enter the 2028 campaign still divided over whether to tack to the centre or move further left on issues ranging from health care and taxes to policing and foreign policy.

Republican candidates will face a different challenge — how to distance themselves from Trump after Tuesday’s repudiation of his policies. They need to broaden their appeal beyond the president’s base while avoiding a break with the populist Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement that has come to define the party.

Trump, who has dominated the political landscape for a decade, may be reluctant to yield centre stage, and his continued influence with MAGA followers could complicate the path of the party’s next standard-bearer.

Looming Democratic battle

Doug Sosnik, a Democratic strategist, said both progressives and moderates will claim vindication in their ideological approaches, ensuring an intense internal battle over the party’s future as the 2028 race begins in earnest.

One of the most high-profile progressive wins came in the Michigan Senate contest, where Democrat Abdul El-Sayed easily defeated Republican Mike Rogers in a likely 2028 presidential swing state, becoming the first Muslim elected to the US Senate.

“All kinds of wings of the Democratic Party can find affirmation in the results last night,” Sosnik said on Wednesday. “I don’t think that anyone can, nor should they, try to contain the differences we have as a party.”

The party has not had a proper debate about its philosophy and direction since 2016, when Hillary Clinton won the nomination against a spirited challenge by US senator Bernie Sanders, a Vermont independent who describes himself as a democratic socialist, Sosnik said.

There are at least 30 Democrats who are saying to people close to them, ‘Do you think I should run?’

Scott Ferson, Democratic strategist

Several potential candidates have either acknowledged considering a White House run or declined to rule one out. Most spent the final weeks of the midterm campaign stumping for fellow Democrats in early nominating states such as Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina.

They include former vice-president Kamala Harris, who lost to Trump in 2024, governors Gavin Newsom of California and Andy Beshear of Kentucky, former transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg, and US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, a leading progressive voice.

Reuters contacted representatives for nine of the party’s most prominent potential contenders. None confirmed a 2028 run.

Nine days after the November 3 elections, several prospective Democratic candidates, including Buttigieg and another progressive, US representative Ro Khanna of California, are scheduled to attend a gathering in Denver hosted by Majority Democrats.

The group, backed largely by moderate Democrats and billionaire donor Steve Mandel, advocates for younger party leaders and a party platform that is more centrist.

US representative Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts, the group’s chair, said the event is meant to spark a debate about the party’s future before the 2028 race takes shape, and lay out a positive agenda for what the party is for, rather than just being anti-Trump.

Scott Ferson, a Democratic strategist, said the party’s presidential primary could attract a huge number of candidates. “There are at least 30 Democrats who are saying to people close to them, ‘Do you think I should run?’” Ferson said.

Republicans in Trump’s shadow

By contrast, Republican 2028 hopefuls have been more guarded, mostly staying in Trump’s shadow and deferential to him.

That could now change after Tuesday night’s rout in which voters expressed deep dissatisfaction with Trump’s handling of the economy and foreign policy and demanded more action against government corruption.

Vance is in a particularly difficult position, said Matt Dole, a Republican strategist. Vance has less freedom than other potential 2028 Republican contenders to put daylight between himself and Trump because he is vice president, a role that traditionally involves defending the president and his policies.

“Vance just doesn’t have the wiggle room that somebody else in the cabinet has, who can resign,” Dole said.

Still, Vance acknowledged on Wednesday that the war in Iran, which Trump launched in February and is deeply unpopular among Americans, had cost Republicans the election. That, however, did not represent a clear break with Trump, who made a similar acknowledgement on Tuesday night.

Whoever emerges within the Republican Party as its new standard-bearer will face the task of keeping Trump’s MAGA base onside while rebuilding the broader coalition that powered his 2024 victory. Exit polls on Tuesday showed that key constituencies of that coalition, including younger voters, Hispanics and some black men, had deserted Republicans.

Vance has said there is “a chance” he will not run, citing family considerations, while Rubio has said he has “no plans at this time” to seek the presidency.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis, who unsuccessfully sought the Republican presidential nomination against Trump in 2024, has declined to rule out another White House bid.

Other Republicans viewed as potential candidates include Arkansas governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders and US Senator Ted Cruz of Texas.

Reuters

]]>Dieu-Nalio Chery<![CDATA[Harties Dam tragedy: Family pleads for answers 12 days after relative’s disappearance]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-harties-dam-tragedy-family-pleads-for-answers-11-days-after-relatives-disappearance/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-harties-dam-tragedy-family-pleads-for-answers-11-days-after-relatives-disappearance/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 13:25:24 +0000

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It has been 12 days since Jan “Obakeng” Mokonyane, 39, disappeared on October 25 at Hartbeespoort Dam after the boat he was operating capsized with eight passengers on board.

Mokonyane, a skipper at the dam and owner of Lona Fela, trading as an events company, has not been seen since.

His family says the eight people who were on board were later rescued while he was nowhere to be found.

When reached for further details on the incident, his family would not comment further.

“The family can’t share anything further than the post,” said relative Lesego Mokonyane.

They are appealing to anyone who witnessed the boat capsizing, participated in the rescue, or who has information about what happened to come forward.

North West police have confirmed investigating a case of a missing person after the incident.

“Hartbeespoort Dam SAPS is investigating a case of a missing person [male] following an incident in which a boat allegedly capsized on Sunday, 25 October 2026,” said police spokesperson Sgt Kelebogile Morake.

Morake said the SAPS Water Wing is continuing search operations in an effort to locate the missing person.

“When it comes to drownings, the police have a specialised unit known as the diving unit.

“Equipped with specialised equipment and trained in specific search techniques, the unit conducts underwater searches for missing persons.

“However, its operations are limited under certain conditions. Searches cannot be conducted at night or when the water is contaminated or poses a danger to divers, for example, when it is infested with water plants or crocodiles.

“Drone operators have also received specialised training and are making a significant contribution to search operations involving missing persons.”

The police search for Jan Mokonyane continues at Hartbeesport Dam 11 days after his disappearance while operating a boat. Picture: Supplied
The police search for Jan Mokonyane continues at Hartbeesport Dam 11 days after his disappearance while operating a boat. Picture: Supplied

She said what makes this particular scene challenging is the depth of the water, which reaches about 25-metres, and the presence of extensive water hyacinth covering parts of the dam.

“The situation is further complicated by wind that constantly moves the water hyacinth around, making search operations even more difficult. Private security companies, using their own drones, are also providing assistance to the police in the search operation.

“To date, the person has not been found, and the body has not surfaced. Search operations continue, and further developments will be communicated as they become available,” said Morake.

When Sowetan called the dam management for comment, the publication was referred to the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI).

Craig Lambinon, the long-serving national spokesperson and communications officer for NSRI in South Africa, said they had not been activated on the case and could not comment.

Sowetan

]]>Instagram<![CDATA[Ethiopia’s economy revised up by 60% after GDP rebasing]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/africa/2026-11-05-ethiopias-economy-revised-up-by-60-after-gdp-rebasing/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/africa/2026-11-05-ethiopias-economy-revised-up-by-60-after-gdp-rebasing/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 13:42:42 +0000

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Ethiopia has revised the size of its economy up by nearly 60% to $201bn (R3.30-trillion) after rebasing its national accounts, according to a government presentation.

The statistical overhaul could shift key debt metrics as the country tries to conclude a long-running debt restructuring.

Ethiopia’s 2024/2025 economy was revised up by 59.2% to $201.42bn after the base year for calculating GDP was shifted to 2024/2025 from 2015/2016.

The government put the size of the economy at $210.7bn in 2025/26, according to the presentation seen by Reuters.

Rebasing the economy is an internationally accepted practice, recently undertaken by Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, aimed at capturing emerging industries and other economic shifts.

The presentation did not specify which exchange rate is used, but the figures appeared to reflect the prevailing rate in 2024/2025.

The birr currency weakened steeply in 2024 after the government allowed it to trade freely against the dollar as part of reforms needed to secure an International Monetary Fund programme.

The presentation cited the need to accurately capture the economic input from:

  • digital financial services;
  • ride-sharing platforms; and
  • “massive solar installations”.

“Clearer economic data directly feeds into better credit ratings, lowers the risk premium on future international sovereign borrowing, and strengthens foreign direct investment inflows,” the presentation said.

Ethiopia is approaching the end of a years-long external debt overhaul; holders of its $1bn Eurobond approved a preliminary restructuring agreement in August.

The rebasing will increase Ethiopia’s nominal GDP and lower its debt-to-GDP and tax-to-GDP ratios, according to the presentation, while boosting its ranking among Africa’s biggest economies.

Reuters

]]>REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri<![CDATA[EU lawmakers back easing of 2035 car emissions targets]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/motoring/2026-11-05-eu-lawmakers-back-easing-of-2035-car-emissions-targets/https://www.sowetan.co.za/motoring/2026-11-05-eu-lawmakers-back-easing-of-2035-car-emissions-targets/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 13:22:57 +0000A committee of the European Parliament voted on Wednesday to weaken proposed EU car emissions targets for 2035, freeing carmakers from a requirement that they could only sell zero-emission vehicles from that date.

The agreement among three mainstream party groups in the European ​Parliament sets a target of an 87.5% cut for cars, with a 7.5% top-up ​from production using low-carbon steel made in the European Union.

After the committee votes on Wednesday, the full EU assembly is due to vote on the auto package in December. This will establish the parliament’s position for subsequent negotiations with the council, the grouping of EU governments, which is still deliberating on the issue.

Reuters

]]>TOBY MELVILLE<![CDATA[Netanyahu’s position weakens as ultra-Orthodox party withholds support]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-netanyahus-position-weakens-as-ultra-orthodox-party-withholds-support/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-netanyahus-position-weakens-as-ultra-orthodox-party-withholds-support/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 13:19:02 +0000Benjamin Netanyahu’s position in the post-election battle to stay on as Israel’s prime minister weakened on Thursday after an ultra-Orthodox Jewish party withheld support for any nominee and an Arab-led party endorsed his main opponent.

Israel’s president was due to meet Netanyahu and his chief political rival Gadi Eisenkot to decide which of the two men to pick to form a government, after holding consultations with smaller parties.

Israel’s October 27 election ended in deadlock with neither Netanyahu nor Eisenkot, a former military chief, securing a clear path to a majority in parliament.

That has set up a tough task for President Isaac Herzog, whose mostly ceremonial role comes with the post-election responsibility of picking a candidate he believes has the best chance to break the deadlock in a deeply divided country.

Herzog has until November 11 to decide. Netanyahu remains prime minister in a caretaker government until a new coalition is formed, or through another election which must be held if no candidate succeeds.

Though Netanyahu outperformed expectations in the vote and his own Likud Party won the most seats, his nationalist-religious coalition lost its governing majority.

In a setback for the prime minister on Thursday, United Torah Judaism, one of two major parties representing ultra-Orthodox Jewish voters and a longstanding Netanyahu coalition ally, declined to recommend any candidate to form a government.

And while Eisenkot, like Netanyahu, has so far ruled out forming a government with Israel’s two Arab-led parties, one of them endorsed Eisenkot on Thursday and the other was expected to do so later in the day.

‘Remember the issues tearing us apart from within’

Herzog will meet separately with Eisenkot and Netanyahu at his residence in Jerusalem on Thursday night, wrapping up party meetings he started on Wednesday after the announcement of official election results.

Herzog has called on parties to do their utmost to avert another round of elections.

“Any reasonable person need only look at the security and diplomatic challenges before us, at the changing region around us, and remember the issues tearing us apart from within, to understand that an immense responsibility rests on us,” Herzog said.

This is a real danger. One of the foundations of democracy is the peaceful transfer of power

Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, head of Israel’s Central Election Committee

He met with smaller factions on Wednesday and plans more meetings with parties in ascending order by size, culminating with Eisenkot’s Yashar and Netanyahu’s Likud.

Likud won the most seats of any single party with 27 in the 120-seat Knesset, but Netanyahu’s wider religious-nationalist coalition garnered only 53 in total.

That was still better than Eisenkot’s anti-Netanyahu coalition spanning four centre-left to right-wing Jewish-led parties, which won just 48 seats despite pre-election polls pointing to a close race. Two parties representing Israel’s Arab minority won an unprecedented 19 seats.

Netanyahu ‘trying to undermine election results’

Netanyahu, at risk of losing power, has seized onto an investigation by election officials into possible vote tampering to cast doubt on the results, accusing Arab-led parties of stealing the vote. Critics accuse Netanyahu and his partners of trying to undermine the results, which he denies.

Israel’s Central Election Committee said on Wednesday that the election’s integrity had not been compromised. The head of the committee, Supreme Court justice Noam Sohlberg, has called on Israel’s elected officials to protect public trust, rather than shake it.

“This is a real danger. One of the foundations of democracy is the peaceful transfer of power,” Sohlberg told Herzog at his residence on Wednesday. High voter turnout, including among the Arab minority, was a blessing, he said.

Netanyahu’s allies on the far-right, including national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, have called for the immediate arrest and interrogation of Arab party leaders.

Reuters

]]>Ammar Awad<![CDATA[Hill-Lewis ‘overwhelmed’ as DA predicts Cape Town victory]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-hill-lewis-overwhelmed-as-da-predicts-cape-town-victory/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-hill-lewis-overwhelmed-as-da-predicts-cape-town-victory/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 13:17:49 +0000

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A triumphant DA leader, Geordin Hill-Lewis, has claimed victory in the City of Town, where he is set to return as mayor, saying his party was likely to be the only one winning a metro municipality with an outright majority.

Hill-Lewis also asserted that his party is well on its way to emerge as the dominant coalition negotiator as the latest IEC results from Wednesday’s municipal polls, by 1pm on Thursday, suggested that there would be no outright majority winner in the country’s other seven metros, such as Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Nelson Mandela Bay.

Hill-Lewis made these bold assertions while addressing DA supporters in a mini-victory rally outside the IEC’s provincial results centre in Century City after strong projections indicated that the blue party was on course to retain Cape Town with a marginally improved majority.

Just after 1pm on Thursday, the DA was the leading party in Cape Town, hovering just above 60%, with the ANC far behind on just under 12%, and the PA at 4.23%.

The picture was unlikely to change, with just over 60% of the valid votes declared, hence Hill-Lewis’s decision to claim victory.

I am overwhelmed. I really did not expect such a strong endorsement from this election, and I just want to thank you so much to the people of Cape Town

Geordin Hill-Lewis, DA leader and Cape Town mayoral candidate

“It’s a little bit too early to say, but it looks like, if current trends continue, Cape Town will be the only [metro] city in the country with the majority government,” said Hill-Lewis to loud cheered from DA members who braved the drizzling weather to celebrate their victory.

“Every other city will most likely be a coalition government and in many of those places, it’s a very good chance that will be a DA-led coalition. So this a great, wonderful day for Cape Town and very good day for South Africa.

“I am overwhelmed. I really did not expect such a strong endorsement from this election, and I just want to thank you so much to the people of Cape Town. It means so much to me that they have sent this clear message of endorsement. I am eternally grateful to the residents of Cape Town for showing up.”

Hill-Lewis attributed the victory in Cape Town to a good voter turnout in DA strongholds in the Cape suburbia, as well as increased support in areas on the Cape Flats such as Gugulethu and Khayelitsha.

“It’s now safe to say that we will have the best results we’ve ever had as the DA in Cape Town’s townships and that’s quite an important thing.

“What we have been doing in Cape Town these last five years has never been just about Cape Town; it is about showing the rest of our country what is possible in SA: that despite our huge challenges, we can move forward, we can make progress.

“We do not have to accept that we only go backwards, as we have seen in so many other places. And I am so glad that message, that Cape Town spirit is now swimming across SA and many municipalities.”

TimesLIVE

]]>Thapelo Morebudi<![CDATA[Putin will not be invited to G20 summit, says UK PM Burnham]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-putin-will-not-be-invited-to-g20-summit-uk-pm-says/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-putin-will-not-be-invited-to-g20-summit-uk-pm-says/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:16:46 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Russian President Vladimir Putin would not be invited to next year’s G20 summit in Britain, The Economist newspaper reported on Thursday.

When asked by The Economist if Putin would be invited, Burnham said: “No.”

Burnham’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

US secretary of state Marco Rubio said in September Washington had invited Putin to a G20 meeting in Miami in December, saying it would provide an opportunity for him to engage with President Donald Trump and other world leaders.

Russia remains a member of the G20 despite Western efforts to isolate it after its invasion of Ukraine. Leaders of host nations traditionally invite all members of the bloc to attend its annual summit.

Next year’s annual G20 summit will be held in November in Manchester, the centre of the region in northwestern England where Burnham was mayor.

Reuters

]]>IGOR IVANKO<![CDATA[DA support surges in Gauteng as ANC loses grip on strongholds]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/2026-11-05-da-support-surges-in-gauteng-as-anc-loses-grip-on-strongholds/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/2026-11-05-da-support-surges-in-gauteng-as-anc-loses-grip-on-strongholds/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:49:52 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

For more than two decades, the ANC has maintained political control over Lesedi, Mogale City and West Rand municipalities in Gauteng, governing them as traditional strongholds.

However, as vote counting continues, the tide is turning and leaning more towards the blue party.

At 1.22pm on Thursday afternoon, the DA was leading in West Rand with 30.9%, in Mogale City with 43%, and Lesedi with 32%.

The service delivery failures across the Lesedi, Mogale City and Rand West City municipalities include severe water crises, failing waste management, infrastructure neglect and deep financial distress.

While the ANC is leading the national vote count with 32.15%, the DA is close behind at 27.83%. The MK Party has 6.5%. The figures were last updated at 1.22pm.

The DA has so far secured the majority of votes in Gauteng and the Western Cape. Around the same time, the DA declared an early victory in the City of Cape Town, with party leader and mayoral candidate Geordin Hill-Lewis projecting the party will secure about 58% of the vote.

In Gauteng’s metros, the DA is leading with 37.2%, or more than 420,000 votes, while the ANC is on 19.81% with about 220,000 votes.

With the ANC’s support declining sharply across the province, DA federal chairperson in Gauteng Solly Msimanga said the party would enter into coalition talks in Johannesburg, where it had clinched 39%, 30% in Tshwane and 37% in Ekurhuleni before 2pm.

He said their talks would be based on clear principles, rather than trading positions for power.

“We are not going to compromise our principles based on positions. It’s not about who gets this ministerial position or whatever position. It’s about what we do for these municipalities,” he said.

“These municipalities need stable financial governance. They still need to have a stable infrastructure investment and maintenance plan that needs to be put in place.”

He said the party also wanted to deal with accountability failures.

“What you then do is to say, ‘with everything that we have seen, what are the things that are going to be non-negotiables’ when you go to the negotiating table?’” he said.

“It’s not about first of all who we talk to or are not going to talk to. Who gets which MMC position? It’s about what we want to achieve.”

Msimanga said the party would first assess the election results before finalising its coalition approach, adding that the DA would publicly outline its non-negotiables so voters could hold the party accountable.

“When we say we have agreed with this party or with these parties, then at least you know that these things are taken into consideration,” he said.

Msimanga said if the DA did not reach an agreement, it would be because the other parties wanted something different from what the party was asking for.

]]>Mukovhe Mulidzwi<![CDATA[RECORDED | Senzo Meyiwa murder trial ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-watch-live-senzo-meyiwa-murder-trial/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-watch-live-senzo-meyiwa-murder-trial/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 11:04:57 +0000The trial of five men accused of killing soccer star Senzo Meyiwa continues in the high court in Pretoria on Thursday.

The footballer was fatally shot during a home invasion in Vosloorus, Ekurhuleni, in October 2014.

Video courtesy of SABC.

TimesLIVE

]]>ANTONIO MUCHAVE<![CDATA[Mbokazi back, Sundowns’ Ndlovu gets call as Mosimane names Bafana squad ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/sport/2026-11-05-mbokazi-back-sundowns-ndlovu-gets-call-as-mosimane-names-bafana-squad/https://www.sowetan.co.za/sport/2026-11-05-mbokazi-back-sundowns-ndlovu-gets-call-as-mosimane-names-bafana-squad/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:18:43 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

Chicago Fire centreback Mbekezeli Mbokazi makes his return from injury to the Bafana Bafana squad named by coach Pitso Mosimane on Thursday.

Mbokazi will play for Bafana for the first time since a superb display at the 2026 World Cup in June in this month’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) home and away qualifiers against coach Benni McCarthy’s Kenya.

Another notable inclusion was Mamelodi Sundowns’ skilful attacker Siyanda Ndlovu, who has forced his way into Mosimane’s 27-player squad on his form for the Brazilians, having not been named in the preliminary squad announced on October 23.

A notable exclusion is of Sundowns’ veteran midfielder Themba Zwane, who has been battling for game time at his club.

Mbokazi missed Mosimane’s first camp back in charge in September and early October, where Bafana began their Group D Afcon qualifying campaign beating Guinea 2-1 at Orlando Stadium and Eritrea 5-0 away in neutral Cairo, then stayed in the Egyptian capital city to beat Egypt 1-0 in a friendly.

There are some injury concerns over two more Sundowns players in the squad. Captain and goalkeeper Ronwen Williams and star midfielder Teboho Mokoena have both been out of action for their club in recent matches.

Bafana meet Kenya in the first match at Orlando Stadium on November 13 and play the second clash at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on November 17.

Kenya are co-hosts with Uganda and Tanzania of the 2027 Afcon and qualify automatically, meaning only one more side will reach the tournament via Group D.

As Group D stands, South Africa lead the pack with six points, Guinea are second with three, Kenya are in third position with one, separated on goal difference from last-placed Eritrea, who also have one point.

Bafana squad:

The Bafana Bafana squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Kenya. Picture: Safa media
The Bafana Bafana squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Kenya. Picture: Safa media

TimesLIVE

]]>Gavin Barker/BackpagePix<![CDATA[SPOTLIGHT | Betrayal, epic battles, African stories and US jazz maestro returns ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/entertainment/2026-11-05-spotlight-betrayal-epic-battles-african-stories-and-us-jazz-maestro-returns/https://www.sowetan.co.za/entertainment/2026-11-05-spotlight-betrayal-epic-battles-african-stories-and-us-jazz-maestro-returns/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 12:13:28 +0000Spotlight is our bite-size entertainment snapshot featuring new releases in South Africa, exclusive film trailers and more. New episodes come out every Thursday on Sunday Times Lifestyle, Sowetan Entertainment and YouTube, plus you can follow Spotlight on Facebook.

WATCH ALL EPISODES

Click here to find previous episodes of Spotlight with all the movie news you need, and follow the show on Facebook for all the latest news and giveaways.

This week Spotlight brings you drama, legendary battles and big moves in the entertainment industry. We head to Easter Island for a dark comedy thriller, explore an epic tale of good vs evil, and catch up with international saxophonist B Thompson ahead of his South African tour.

Trust no-one and question everything in Wild Horse Nine. Two CIA agents are sent on a secret mission to the remote Easter Island, but their assignment soon spirals into a dangerous web of secrets, political intrigue and betrayal. From Oscar-winning director Martin McDonagh (The Banshees of Inisherin, In Bruges), the film stars John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell, Steve Buscemi and Mariana di Girolamo. Wild Horse Nine is in cinemas.

A legendary battle between good and evil unfolds in the epic fantasy Ramayana: Rise of a Legend. Prince Rama and the immortal King Ravana are on a collision course that could threaten the balance of creation. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the film stars Ranbir Kapoor, Yash and Sai Pallavi, with a score by Oscar-winning composers Hans Zimmer and AR Rahman. Ramayana: Rise of a Legend is now at cinemas.

African entertainment continues to make its mark. FAME Week Africa 2026 brought together filmmakers, musicians, content creators and international industry leaders under the theme “Africa. Untold. Unstoppable”. France took centre stage as the destination country, while MIP Africa opened doors for partnerships and opportunities to take African stories to global audiences. MultiChoice confirmed Die Kantoor, South Africa’s adaptation of The Office, will return for a second season. Stained Glass TV, behind The Wife and eHostela, is also teaming up with MultiChoice on a new dark psychological thriller. Local stars Thando Thabethe, Kim Jayde and Siv Ngesi joined discussions on turning creative talent into ownership and business success.

Soul, smooth jazz and fine dining take centre stage as acclaimed musician and social media sensation B Thompson returns to South Africa for the B Thompson Luxury Series 2026. Fresh off the release of his instrumental single Intimacy, Spotlight caught up with him to chat about his musical journey and what fans can expect next.

For full interviews, breaking news, trailers and clips, visit our Spotlight Facebook page. See you at the movies.

Presenter Collette Prince is styled and dressed by Claris by Gerrit Pienaar when attending premieres and special events.

Facebook @Claris by Gerrit Pienaar/Instagram: gerritpienaardesigns.

TimesLIVE

]]>Empire Entertainment<![CDATA[WATCH | MK Party celebrates unofficial win as coffin parade mocks ANC]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-watch-mk-party-celebrates-unofficial-win-as-coffin-parade-mocks-anc/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-watch-mk-party-celebrates-unofficial-win-as-coffin-parade-mocks-anc/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 10:18:46 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

MK Party candidate Sibonelo Ngcobo celebrated an unofficial victory on Thursday when supporters carried a coffin bearing ANC stickers in a symbolic parade.

The group, which disrupted traffic on Alpine Road, Durban, were jubilant and sang as results from the local government election trickled in.

Members of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party parade through the streets of Ward 25 in Springfield, eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal, celebrating their victory over the governing party in the local government elections. Photo: SANDILE NDLOVU
Members of the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party parade through the streets of Ward 25 in Springfield, eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal, celebrating their victory over the governing party in the local government elections. Photo: SANDILE NDLOVU

Ngcobo, from ward 25, which includes Springfield, Clare Estate and Kennedy Road in KwaZulu-Natal, promised fair access to jobs and opportunities for local small businesses.

“I never doubted the community because of its support. We know there is a lot that needs to be done because the ward is in difficulty,” he said.

The area includes several informal settlements and businesses, many of which suffered financial setbacks during the July 2021 looting.

Ngcobo said the victory belonged to the MK Party rather than to him personally, although he acknowledged that residents’ support for his leadership had contributed to the result.

“What I can say is that it is not MaPholoba [me] who won, but the uMkhonto weSizwe Party,” he said.

“People had a wish to be led under my leadership, that I cannot doubt, given the community turnout and the votes they cast. Having my name on the ballot paper under the uMkhonto weSizwe Party banner also had an impact.”

Sibonelo Ngcobo, incoming MK Party councillor for Ward 25, sits in the back of a bakkie alongside party supporters as they celebrate the party’s victory over the ANC in Springfield, eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal. Photo: SANDILE NDLOVU
Sibonelo Ngcobo, incoming MK Party councillor for Ward 25, sits in the back of a bakkie alongside party supporters as they celebrate the party’s victory over the ANC in Springfield, eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal. Photo: SANDILE NDLOVU

Ngcobo said he was aware of the significant challenges facing the ward and urged residents to give the incoming administration an opportunity to address them.

“As I step into this position, the community will expect things to be sorted out immediately. However, we should be given a chance because the damage is huge,” he said.

“Small businesses in ward 25 need things to be put right, properly and correctly. One of the problems that troubles the community is that there should be no need for someone to pay to get a job.”

Ngcobo said his priorities included employment and opportunities for small businesses when contractors come into the area. He said he would introduce contractors to residents so local businesses could understand the opportunities available and community members could find work.

His supporters carried out a mock burial for the ruling party, saying they were tired of the ANC.

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 KwaZulu-Natal 2.9 percentage points ahead of the national average, but Masinga said outstanding results could change the picture.

TimesLIVE

]]>SANDILE NDLOVU<![CDATA[WATCH | The Political Arena team breaks down the early election results ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/2026-11-05-watch-live-the-political-arena-team-breaks-down-the-early-election-results/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/2026-11-05-watch-live-the-political-arena-team-breaks-down-the-early-election-results/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 11:05:34 +0000

Arena Holdings’ senior politics reporters are coming to you live from the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) results centre at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, Gauteng, to unpack the early election results and what they mean for municipalities.

TimesLIVE

]]>Thapelo Morebudi<![CDATA[UK’s Channel 4 cancels ‘Married at First Sight’ after rape allegations]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-uks-channel-4-cancels-married-at-first-sight-after-rape-allegations/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-uks-channel-4-cancels-married-at-first-sight-after-rape-allegations/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 11:56:46 +0000Britain’s Channel 4 said on Thursday Married at First Sight UK would not return to screens after a review prompted by serious allegations of misconduct during the making of the hit reality show.

The broadcaster removed all previous seasons of the show in May after a BBC report detailed allegations of rape by two women during filming.

Channel 4 said a review by law firm Clyde & Co had found its welfare protocols complied with broadcasting codes, though there were isolated incidents where the welfare framework was not fully implemented.

A second part of the review, by former BBC executive Lorraine Heggessey, found the protocols were “extensive, extremely thorough and of a high standard”, Channel 4 said.

The show, in which strangers are matched by experts and “marry” at first sight, is part of an international franchise across many countries, including the US and Australia.

Channel 4 CEO Priya Dogra said welfare across its programmes was a primary concern.

“While the review praised the welfare protocols in place and made no findings that Channel 4 breached the Ofcom Code or that the format is inherently unsafe, I have to consider when is the right time for Channel 4 to move on from a format,” she said.

Implementing all the review’s recommendations would fundamentally alter the show’s format, she said, adding she believed it had “run its course” after 10 years.

The BBC reported in July that a cast member from the show had been arrested on suspicion of rape after its investigation.

Reuters

]]>TOBY MELVILLE<![CDATA[Teacher loses maternity leave dispute against Gauteng education department]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-teacher-loses-maternity-leave-dispute-against-gauteng-education-department/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-teacher-loses-maternity-leave-dispute-against-gauteng-education-department/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 11:54:38 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

A temporary teacher who challenged the Gauteng department of education after being denied maternity leave has lost her labour dispute.

This was after it was found she had voluntarily accepted a new employment contract that excluded the benefit and the most she would be allowed off work was a week.

Agnes Sephoto, who was a temporary teacher at Mapetla High School in Soweto, approached the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) claiming the department had unilaterally changed her terms and conditions of employment, resulting in her losing her maternity leave.

ELRC commissioner Paul Phundu dismissed her dispute, finding the department had consulted her before offering her a second fixed-term contract and she had accepted its conditions without being forced to do so.

He said the department did not unilaterally change the terms and conditions of her temporary employment.

“The reason I say so is because the applicant (Sephoto) conceded her previous temporary position ceased to exist as it was permanently filled.

“She agreed she was part of the discussions regarding her new offer of temporary fixed employment and she accepted the offer in writing. One of the clauses stipulated she will not be entitled to maternity leave based on the temporary nature of the position.”

Sephoto had initially been appointed as a level 1 teacher on a 12-month fixed-term contract, running from October 2 2024, to September 30 2025.

During her employment, she was entitled to maternity leave.

However, the position she occupied temporarily was later filled permanently by another employee, bringing her initial contract to an end.

The department subsequently offered her another temporary position for a further 12 months.

Sephoto argued the new arrangement resulted in her losing her maternity leave entitlement and accused the department of unilaterally changing her conditions of employment without consulting her.

She told the arbitration hearing the change had effectively denied her a benefit to which she was previously entitled.

However, under cross-examination, Sephoto conceded the department had discussed the terms and conditions of the new position with her, including the benefits attached to it.

She also confirmed she had accepted the new offer in writing, and one of the clauses in the contract specifically stated she would not be entitled to maternity leave because of the temporary nature of the employment.

Sephoto confirmed she had not signed the contract under duress.

The school’s principal, Steven Chauke, testified that Sephoto’s original appointment had been against a promotional position that was subsequently filled permanently.

He said the school then offered her another temporary position, during which the terms and conditions, including the benefits, were discussed.

Chauke said Sephoto had agreed to the new conditions.

He denied the department had unilaterally changed her employment conditions.

Analysing the evidence, Phundu said the central question was whether the department had made a unilateral change to Sephoto’s terms and conditions of employment.

He referred to section 64(4) of the Labour Relations Act, which allows employees or trade unions to demand that an employer stop or reverse a unilateral change to employment conditions when a dispute has been referred to the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration or a bargaining council.

“The applicant was offered another temporary position which had a term that she would not be entitled to maternity leave.

“Benefits and other responsibilities of the new fixed-term position were discussed with [her] and Mr Chauke further indicated the applicant agreed she would be entitled to only one week of maternity leave.”

Handing down judgment, Phundu said Sephoto voluntarily accepted the new terms of employment after consultation.

Sowetan

]]>123RF<![CDATA[Asylum seekers could lose Tshwane refugee office]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-04-asylum-seekers-could-lose-tshwane-refugee-office/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-04-asylum-seekers-could-lose-tshwane-refugee-office/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 12:44:05 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

By Joseph Chirume

Tens of thousands of asylum seekers and refugees who use the Tshwane Refugee Reception Office (RRO) could have to travel more than 450km to Musina or Beitbridge every few months to renew their permits if the office is closed.

A notice published in the Government Gazette by the director-general of Home Affairs on Friday proposes closing the Tshwane office, which serves asylum seekers living in Gauteng, North West, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.

Under a separate notice, a new refugee reception office is planned at Beitbridge, on the border with Zimbabwe. Asylum seekers who enter South Africa through any of 12 ports of entry on the borders with Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique would have to apply for asylum in person at Beitbridge, rather than at any of the five existing reception offices across the country.

The requirement would also apply to any new asylum seeker who cannot prove they entered through another port and whose entry cannot be verified on the department’s systems. This includes new applicants already booked through the department’s online system.

The gazetted notices invite public comment by 30 November.

In a statement, the inter-ministerial committee on migration said the proposals aim to improve the administration of asylum applications, strengthen identity verification and security screening, and reduce abuse of the asylum system.

“The proposals do not alter the legal rights and protections available to asylum seekers under South African law,” it said.

But Claude Marie Bernard Kayitare, a coordinating committee member of Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia (KAAX), said the move must be weighed against a Constitutional Court judgment in July.

The court confirmed a 2025 Western Cape High Court ruling that struck down amendments to the Refugees Act that took effect in 2020. Under those amendments, applicants who had not entered through an official port of entry, or had not reported to a refugee reception office within five days, were excluded unless they had “compelling reasons”. The court found the amendments could see people returned to danger without anyone assessing whether they were refugees, GroundUp reported.

Under the new proposal, the office at which a person applies for asylum would depend on which port of entry they used, or on whether they can prove they used a different one.

“Every claim must be assessed fairly and individually, with due regard to the principle of non-refoulement,” said Kayitare. Non-refoulement is the principle that people may not be sent back to face persecution.

Kayitare said many asylum seekers are economically vulnerable, have families and children, and cannot afford long-distance travel to Beitbridge.

“The disestablishment of the Tshwane RRO is unreasonable and not justifiable,” said Liesl Fourie, a senior attorney at the Nelson Mandela University Refugee Rights Centre.

“As the largest refugee reception office in the country, the Tshwane RRO is currently serving tens of thousands of existing asylum seekers and refugees with a variety of services. Closing down the Tshwane RRO and demanding that existing refugees and asylum seekers travel all the way to Limpopo for assistance will severely prejudice those existing asylum seekers and refugees,” she said.

Fourie said the country’s five refugee reception offices are all under-resourced and unable to assist new applicants within a reasonable time. Some people have been prohibited from applying for asylum since 2019, she said. The telephone translation service has only 27 lines available on any given day, she said.

She said the department should first make sure existing offices have enough staff, a reliable network, and adequate translation services. Otherwise, a new office would face the same problems.

Nasir Mohamed Moalin, a leader of the Eastern Cape Somali community, said any changes must comply with the Constitution, Constitutional Court judgments and South Africa’s international obligations.

He said decisions affecting refugee reception offices “must be communicated transparently and subjected to meaningful public consultation”.

Kayitare said KAAX plans to submit a formal written response before the deadline, working with refugee-led and migrant-led organisations and with legal and human rights groups. It wants meaningful consultation with affected asylum seekers and refugees, accessible refugee reception services, including at the Tshwane office, and an inclusive online and assisted asylum registration system.

GroundUp

]]>Karen Moolman<![CDATA[BETWEEN MEETINGS | Rising star Malaika Gray: ‘I don’t want to be the next anybody’]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/entertainment/2026-11-05-between-meetings-rising-star-malaika-gray-i-dont-want-to-be-the-next-anybody/https://www.sowetan.co.za/entertainment/2026-11-05-between-meetings-rising-star-malaika-gray-i-dont-want-to-be-the-next-anybody/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 11:00:00 +0000Rising star Malaika Gray: ‘I don’t want to be the next anybody’
Rising star Malaika Gray is stepping into the spotlight with her debut single, My Fever, featuring Tanzanian bongo flava star Marioo.
Rising star Malaika Gray is stepping into the spotlight with her debut single, My Fever, featuring Tanzanian bongo flava star Marioo.

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.

Click here to read more.

Gallery on the Greens residency nurtures rising local art talent

Workshop and studio visit where the residents spent time with artist Nwabisa Ntlokwana at her August House studio
Workshop and studio visit where the residents spent time with artist Nwabisa Ntlokwana at her August House studio

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.

Click here to read more.

Sowetan

]]>Sowetan<![CDATA[Bomb threats disrupt flights across Europe]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-bomb-threats-disrupt-flights-across-europe/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-bomb-threats-disrupt-flights-across-europe/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 11:00:10 +0000A string of bomb threats has disrupted passenger flights across Europe in recent days, forcing diversions, emergency landings and security sweeps, though no explosives have so far been found.

Here is a list of flights affected by bomb threats in recent days.

Aer Lingus

An Airbus A320 flying from Dublin to Rome was diverted to the Évreux air base in northern France on November 5 following a bomb alert, the French prime minister’s office said.

All 151 passengers and six crew members were moved to safety and bomb disposal teams were working on the aircraft.

Finnair

A bomb threat was made against a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome on November 5, which was escorted to Rome by Italian air force units, ANSA reported. A Finnair spokesperson said the plane landed as normal.

Ryanair

Four Ryanair flights were affected by bomb threats on November 3, prompting searches in Italy, Spain and Bulgaria.

Two flights, from Lisbon and Dublin, were searched at Rome’s Fiumicino airport after “potential bomb threats”, airport operator ADR said. The planes, luggage, passengers and crew went through searches and bomb sweeps, and ADR said the alert was cleared, with no threat to the airport itself and other flights unaffected.

In Spain, Murcia airport activated a security protocol after a bomb alert on a flight from Manchester, government delegate Francisco Lucas said on X. All people on board, disembarked and underwent security checks while security forces inspected the aircraft.

A Dublin-Sofia flight landed safely with 185 passengers on board after a bomb threat was made against it, Bulgaria’s transport ministry told Reuters. No explosive devices were found during an inspection.

Wizz Air

A Wizz Air flight from Milan/Bergamo to Sofia was the target of a bomb threat on November 3, Bulgaria’s transport ministry said in a statement to Reuters. The plane landed safely with 176 passengers on board, and no explosive devices were found during an inspection.

Another Wizz Air flight from London to Sofia diverted to Budapest on November 2 after a bomb threat, Hungary’s defence minister said. A Hungarian Gripen fighter was scrambled to escort the aircraft.

LOT Polish Airlines

On November 3, a LOT Polish Airlines flight from London made an unscheduled landing at Warsaw-Modlin airport after a bomb threat alert, a LOT spokesperson confirmed. Air operations at the airport were suspended and resumed around midday. The aircraft was checked by the relevant services, while passengers and crew waited in the arrivals hall for further decisions.

SAS Scandinavian Airlines

On November 3, a bomb threat was reported on an SAS flight from Copenhagen to Warsaw, which landed at Warsaw-Chopin airport and was checked, a Chopin airport spokesperson said. SAS said the aircraft landed safely and its passengers disembarked. Polish authorities said the threat was not confirmed. The airport continued operations.

Austrian Airlines

An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna diverted to Sofia on October 18 after a reported bomb threat while over Romania, Bulgaria’s transport ministry said.

A Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 escorted the Airbus A320, which landed about 30 minutes after the alert was raised, and passengers were evacuated. Austrian Airlines confirmed a threat was made and said 51 passengers and 6 crew were on board. No injuries were reported.

The airline said the security search found no threat, and the flight later continued to Vienna with all its passengers.

Reuters

]]>FORTA<![CDATA[Shares soar as Toyota reports first profit gain in six quarters]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/motoring/2026-11-05-shares-soar-as-toyota-reports-first-profit-gain-in-six-quarters/https://www.sowetan.co.za/motoring/2026-11-05-shares-soar-as-toyota-reports-first-profit-gain-in-six-quarters/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 11:00:00 +0000Toyota on Thursday booked its first profit gain in six quarters and lifted its annual outlook by 15%, as a weaker yen and robust demand for higher-margin hybrid vehicles offset a slide in sales in China and the Middle East.

The results, which helped send Toyota’s shares soaring in Tokyo trade, were the latest sign that the carmaker’s strategy of focusing on hybrids was paying off.

The world’s largest carmaker said it expects operating profit of 3.9-trillion yen (about R403.75bn) for the year ending March after posting a forecast-beating 34% climb in income for the July-September quarter.

Unlike other traditional car companies that went all-in on electric vehicles and then had to write down billions of dollars in investment when demand for electric cars weakened, Toyota has primarily focused on advancing the petrol-electric hybrid technology it popularised with the Prius decades ago.

The results were the latest sign that the carmaker’s strategy of focusing on hybrids was paying off. Picture: Supplied
The results were the latest sign that the carmaker’s strategy of focusing on hybrids was paying off. Picture: Supplied

The strategy has been key to its ability to defend market share in its main market, the US, even as it faces the threat from fast-moving Chinese EV makers elsewhere.

But like other carmakers, Toyota has been buffeted by higher fuel prices sparked by war in the Middle East.

Takanori Azuma, Toyota’s chief accounting officer, told a briefing that the company was offsetting the impact of the situation in the Middle East and a surge in material prices through sales efforts and cost reductions.

Shares in Toyota had gained around 8% before the results as investors sold AI-related stocks and bought blue chips after the US midterm elections. They then extended gains and were up more than 14% in afternoon trade, on track for their biggest one-day gain since 2008.

Operating profit for the July-September quarter came in at 1.13-trillion yen , above a median forecast of 992-billion yen in a poll of nine analysts surveyed by LSEG.

Reuters

]]>Soe Zeya Tun<![CDATA[Galaxy coach convinced Mahlambi will regain form amid transfer talk]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/sport/2026-11-05-galaxy-coach-convinced-mahlambi-will-regain-form-amid-transfer-talk/https://www.sowetan.co.za/sport/2026-11-05-galaxy-coach-convinced-mahlambi-will-regain-form-amid-transfer-talk/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

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 chair 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

]]>BackpagePix<![CDATA[Vance points finger at Iran war after US electoral humbling]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-vance-points-finger-at-iran-war-after-us-electoral-humbling/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-vance-points-finger-at-iran-war-after-us-electoral-humbling/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 10:41:41 +0000US vice-president JD Vance distanced himself from President Donald Trump’s war on Iran on Wednesday, questioning whether it was worth the cost and blaming it for Republicans’ election losses that handed Democrats control of both chambers of Congress.

Vance’s extraordinary remarks in a post on X could further complicate Trump’s deliberations as he weighs whether to restart major combat operations against Iran, a step the US officials have told Reuters is still under consideration.

They also raise questions about the political fortunes of senior Pentagon officials, most notably defence secretary Pete Hegseth. Trump has described Hegseth as an early advocate for the war.

Hegseth has also faced fierce criticism from members of Congress.

“The reason we lost is the war,” Vance said on X. “If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next [six] years was worth it, then do so.”

Vance, who is seen as a leading 2028 presidential contender, also said an earlier recommendation to end the war was “sound advice”.

Asked about Vance’s remarks, Trump told reporters he thought they were good, saying: “I know how he feels about it.” But Trump then defended the war effort, saying: “We stopped them from having a nuclear weapon.”

Some officials and staff inside the White House viewed Vance’s post as a foreign policy break from the president and a public recognition that the war had domestic economic consequences, a White House adviser told Reuters.

Democrats secured control of both the Senate and House of Representatives on Tuesday, scoring sweeping victories in Republican strongholds for the first time in generations.

Voters in conservative ​bastions who had propelled the president to his second term in office just two years ago swung dramatically toward Democrats, fuelled by deep frustration over the war with Iran, anxiety about the high cost of living, and anger at ‌Trump’s stewardship of the country.

Vance sought to play down any difference of opinion with Trump, saying the president had also acknowledged that the Iran war cost Republicans the midterm elections on Tuesday. But Trump was far more measured, saying the Iran war was only one of multiple reasons for the electoral rout.

“I ​did the right thing,” Trump told the Wall Street Journal. “I would have done it again.”

Marco Rubio, a possible 2028 rival to Vance, has remained silent since the midterm elections.

The White House did not provide comment for this story but referred Reuters to Trump’s comments from earlier Wednesday agreeing with Vance’s assessment that the Iran war was a major factor in Republican losses on Tuesday.

Vance’s extraordinary post drew a mocking riposte from Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Vance’s opposite number at face-to-face peace talks in April. Qalibaf suggested that if Vance believed the war was a bad idea, he should convince Trump to end it, rather than double down.

“Losing gambler energy, can’t walk away from the table. Boss is prepping the next war phase while America teeters on an Israel-First cliff. Skip the TED talk. Why not say this to your boss?” Qalibaf wrote in English in a reply to Vance’s post on X.

Options for renewed attacks

Trump launched the Iran war ‌jointly with ⁠Israel in February, predicting a brief conflict that could bring the end of the Iranian government, which he called the “bully of the Middle East”.

While the attacks dealt severe blows to Iran’s military and its underground weapons storage facilities, the conflict turned into an effective stalemate after an April ceasefire failed to deliver a peace deal.

Since then, Iran has recovered some of its buried arsenal and threatened ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, contributing to concerns about global oil supplies.

With no clear path out of the conflict, Trump was briefed last week by Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of the US Central Command, on options for restarting combat operations, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

But the US intelligence assessments in recent months have indicated that renewed strikes on Iran would not fundamentally change Tehran’s negotiating position or lead to regime change, according to a US intelligence official and two other US officials briefed on the intelligence.

Still, sources familiar with the deliberations warn Trump could still decide to act, noting he was aware of the political risks before Tuesday’s elections and “just didn’t care”.

One source said Trump did not have anything to lose politically now that the midterms were over and that he was more likely to double down on Iran and go ahead with an attack.

A second source agreed the most likely course was renewed hostilities, saying: “He is planning to bomb Iran. Don’t listen to what he’s saying. He held off because of the midterms. We asked him to hold off until the midterms.”

All of the sources spoke on condition of anonymity.

2028 campaign

Vance’s comments could be seen as the start of his 2028 campaign, a person familiar with the matter said.

Some officials in the White House were made aware before Vance’s post.

But a White House official, in a response to questions from Reuters, said most, if not all, senior White House staff were caught off guard by it.

Mediators have intensified efforts to end the war amid fears it could reignite after the election.

Vance has in recent weeks leaned more heavily into negotiations with Tehran. But there has been little indication from Iran that it is willing to accept American demands, including that it reduce its nuclear enrichment levels to zero.

Reuters

]]>Kevin Lamarque<![CDATA[Kenyan father haunted by children’s deaths ahead of cult leader’s sentencing]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/africa/2026-11-05-kenyan-father-haunted-by-childrens-deaths-ahead-of-cult-leaders-sentencing/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/africa/2026-11-05-kenyan-father-haunted-by-childrens-deaths-ahead-of-cult-leaders-sentencing/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 09:45:22 +0000When Kenyan starvation cult leader Paul Mackenzie is sentenced on Friday for the murders of 190 children and an adult, Stephen Mwiti and other relatives of the victims will be worrying he may continue spreading his deadly messages from prison.

Mwiti said all six of his children died in the Shakahola Forest, where his wife took them in 2022.

Prosecutors said Mackenzie ordered followers to starve themselves and their children to death to go to heaven before the world ​ended, in what became one of the worst cult-related tragedies in recent history.

Mwiti said he hoped Mackenzie and his fellow defendants, who include Mwiti’s wife, would be held in solitary confinement if they were jailed so they could not influence other prisoners.

“Even if he were to be hanged, I will never see my children again,” Mwiti, 48, said this week while visiting his son Samuel’s grave in the coastal city of Malindi.

Samuel, who was around seven when they entered the forest, was the only one of Mwiti’s children whose remains could be identified. Many of the victims’ bodies were severely decomposed, with officials only able to confirm the identities of 26 of the more than 400 bodies recovered from the forest.

Followers continued to promote ideas

Mackenzie and 28 co-defendants were convicted last month of murder. They could face the death penalty, though Kenya has not executed anyone in decades.

Most of the defendants, including Mwiti’s wife, denied the charges and Mackenzie said he did not force anyone to starve, an argument Mwiti said made no sense.

“Assuming the adults he had converted agreed to fast without being forced, what about the children? The post mortem revealed Samuel died after being strangled. Was that also by will?” Mwiti said.

After Mackenzie was arrested, officials said his followers continued to promote his ideas.

Last year, authorities discovered dozens more bodies in a nearby village which they linked to Mackenzie’s cult.

Father holds onto memories

Four years after he last saw his children, Mwiti is haunted by their absence.

“When I leave work and come across children, I am startled,” Mwiti said. “At times, a child looks so much like one of my children that it shocks me.”

At the cemetery, where Samuel is buried beneath a wooden cross, Mwiti held photographs of his children and some of their school uniforms he had hoped to bury with them.

“These are all the memories I have left,” he said.

Reuters

]]>Monicah Mwangi<![CDATA[For China, two more years of Trump may be the best-case scenario]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-analysis-trumps-political-humbling-signals-short-term-gain-long-term-pain-for-china/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-analysis-trumps-political-humbling-signals-short-term-gain-long-term-pain-for-china/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 09:05:58 +0000The midterm drubbing of President Donald Trump’s Republicans may strengthen China’s hand in trade talks with Washington, but Beijing is unlikely to revel in the misfortunes of a US president whose successor could prove less accommodating.

US voters angered by rising living costs, exacerbated by Trump’s trade wars with China and other countries, turned on his party in Tuesday’s vote, handing Democrats control of Congress.

The political humbling should make Trump more wary of unsettling a fragile trade truce with Beijing, some political analysts said, giving China a potential advantage in negotiations set to resume later this month.

Washington’s divided political landscape also gives Beijing space to fortify itself and diversify its trade ties before a potentially less China-friendly US administration takes power, some Chinese and Western analysts said.

“The Chinese are very realistic that a new president might be very different,” said Shen Weizhong, a former Chinese foreign ministry ​official.

“However, if we can have two more years of stability, that’s a good thing for China. The more time we have the better prepared we might be towards a final showdown on Taiwan or maybe another trade war,” said Shen, who now works for Beijing-based think tank Global Governance Institution.

The next two years, however, may not be smooth sailing for Beijing, other analysts said.

The broad direction of US-China policy isn’t necessarily going to change, but I think the concern is around less conventional foreign policy issues that would have unexpected ramifications for China

Chim Lee, senior China analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit

The risk is that Trump, constrained at home, becomes more aggressive in seeking foreign policy wins, while a Democratic-controlled Congress may push him harder to unfreeze arms sales to Taiwan, a red line for Beijing.

“There are more foreign policy actions Trump can take that are unconventional and untold,” said senior China analyst Chim Lee at the Economist Intelligence Unit.

“The broad direction of US-China policy isn’t necessarily going to change, but I think the concern is around less conventional foreign policy issues that would have unexpected ramifications for China,” he said.

Top among the concerns is an escalation of the Iran war into a wider regional conflict. That could trigger a sustained spike in global oil prices, threaten China’s energy security and disrupt Beijing’s ties in the Middle East.

Sensing weakness

In the short term, attention turns to imminent trade talks, with Trump set to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Apec summit in Shenzhen later this month and in Miami in the US in December for the G20.

At stake is a truce in a trade war, expiring in January, that averted a major shock to the global economy last year.

Beijing could conclude Trump’s political problems mean he needs a deal more than China, encouraging Chinese negotiators to press harder for tariff reductions and other US concessions, said Craig Singleton, senior fellow at the Foundation for Defence of Democracies, a US think tank.

However, that also risks a “miscalculation that unsettles the stability Xi is trying to preserve,” he said.

Trump has repeatedly railed against what he sees as China’s unfair trade with Washington, slapping triple-digit tariffs on Chinese goods shortly after he returned to office last year to address a trade imbalance he said was “killing” the US.

However, he has since significantly softened his tone, feting Xi at two grand summits in Beijing and Washington that delivered few tangible economic wins.

Trump’s bonhomie with Xi stands in contrast to his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, who repeatedly angered China with comments over human rights issues and a pledge that the US would defend Taiwan if Beijing attacked. Some of Trump’s potential Republican successors, such as secretary of state Marco Rubio, are also seen by analysts as more hawkish on China.

After the midterms, Trump could be even less willing to upset the stable relationship he has developed with China, said Wu Xinbo, a professor at Shanghai’s Fudan University who advises China’s foreign ministry.

Beyond trade, Trump may also seek to enlist Beijing’s help to secure other foreign policy wins as the clock ticks on his presidency, such as ending the war between Russia and Ukraine or arranging another summit with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un.

Beijing, which maintains deep trade ties with Russia and North Korea, could use that leverage in exchange for concessions from Trump, analysts said.

However, after years of dealing primarily with Trump, Beijing faces a US Congress far more intent on pressing human rights issues, scrutinising Chinese investments and delivering a $14bn (R230bn) package of arms to Taiwan that Trump has said he is withholding as a “negotiating chip” with Xi.

China claims democratically governed Taiwan and has asked for the arms sales to stop.

“The Chinese will definitely react strongly against that,” said Shen, calling it “risk number one” after the midterms.

Reuters

]]>Evelyn Hockstein<![CDATA[Australia set to join Indonesia’s battle against raging wildfires]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-australia-set-to-join-indonesias-battle-against-raging-wildfires/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-australia-set-to-join-indonesias-battle-against-raging-wildfires/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 09:15:00 +0000Australia will join Indonesia’s waterbombing operations to help put out fires that have been raging for months, a government agency said on Thursday, a day after a helicopter crashed during a firefighting mission, killing three people.

Australia’s New South Wales Rural Fire Service has dispatched a C-130 Hercules and a Cessna Citation aircraft to support Indonesia in firefighting operations from November 6 to 12, Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency said in a statement.

Australia’s ambassador to Indonesia, Roderick Bruce Brazier, said the support includes a large air tanker aircraft capable of dropping up to 15,000 litres of water per sortie, with an estimated capacity of up to six sorties per day.

Indonesia has been battling its most intense wildfires in 11 years, with large swathes of land scorched, mainly on the islands of Sumatra, Borneo and Papua.

An Indonesian waterbombing helicopter crashed on Wednesday in Central Kalimantan, killing three crew and injuring several others, an environment ministry department said on Thursday.

The helicopter was carrying eight crew and crashed while loading water, according to the transport ministry.

Fire and haze have caused more than 400,000 cases of acute respiratory infections in seven Indonesian provinces as of November 2, health ministry data showed.

Indonesia is making “massive efforts” to control the fires through waterbombing and cloud seeding operations while engaging foreign assistance, its disaster agency chief Kristomei Sianturi said.

Reuters

]]>Usep Hariadi<![CDATA[Gallery on the Greens residency nurtures rising local art talent]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/s-mag/living/2026-11-05-gallery-on-the-greens-residency-nurtures-rising-local-art-talent/https://www.sowetan.co.za/s-mag/living/2026-11-05-gallery-on-the-greens-residency-nurtures-rising-local-art-talent/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

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.

Workshop and studio visit where the residents spent time with artist Nwabisa Ntlokwana at her August House studio
Workshop and studio visit where the residents spent time with artist Nwabisa Ntlokwana at her August House studio

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.

Ceramist, researcher and educator Mzwanele “Rez Inyanzi” Tshishonga
Ceramist, researcher and educator Mzwanele “Rez Inyanzi” Tshishonga

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.

Ceramist, researcher and educator Mzwanele “Rez Inyanzi” Tshishonga
Ceramist, researcher and educator Mzwanele “Rez Inyanzi” Tshishonga

“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.

Painter and printmaker Thulani Gankca with fellow artist Shandre Lummis
Painter and printmaker Thulani Gankca with fellow artist Shandre Lummis

“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.

Painter and printmaker Thulani Gankca
Painter and printmaker Thulani Gankca

“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.”

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

Gallery on the Greens art residents spent time with artist Nwabisa Ntlokwana at her August House studio
Gallery on the Greens art residents spent time with artist Nwabisa Ntlokwana at her August House studio
]]>supp<![CDATA[WATCH | IEC updates media on early vote-counting]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/2026-11-05-watch-live-iec-updates-media-on-early-vote-counting/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/2026-11-05-watch-live-iec-updates-media-on-early-vote-counting/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 08:01:34 +0000The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) is updating the media on Thursday about how early vote-counting is progressing.

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

TimesLIVE

]]>Freddy Mavunda<![CDATA[WATCH | The Political Arena team looks at the numbers trickling in]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-watch-live-the-political-arena-team-looks-at-the-numbers-trickling-in/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-05-watch-live-the-political-arena-team-looks-at-the-numbers-trickling-in/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 07:43:02 +0000The ink is dry and the counting has begun.

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

]]>MASI LOSI<![CDATA[Dozens of pilot whales stranded on New Zealand coast]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-dozens-of-pilot-whales-stranded-on-new-zealand-coast/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-dozens-of-pilot-whales-stranded-on-new-zealand-coast/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 08:12:29 +0000Dozens of pilot whales have been found stranded on a beach in New Zealand’s North Island and rescuers are trying to refloat a handful of the survivors, the country’s conservation department said on Thursday.

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

]]>NEW ZEALAND'S DEPARTMENT OF CONV<![CDATA[Australian F1 world champion Alan Jones dies aged 80]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/motoring/2026-11-05-australian-f1-world-champion-alan-jones-dies-aged-80/https://www.sowetan.co.za/motoring/2026-11-05-australian-f1-world-champion-alan-jones-dies-aged-80/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 08:10:56 +0000Alan Jones, who was the second Australian and first Williams driver to win the Formula One world title, died on Thursday a few days after his 80th birthday.

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.

Jones won five world championship races in the 1980 season.
Jones won five world championship races in the 1980 season.

“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

]]>LAT Images<![CDATA[TIAAN DE JAGER AND TANESHKA KRUGER | Rethinking how we fight malaria in Southern Africa]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/opinion/columnists/2026-11-05-tiaan-de-jager-and-taneshka-kruger-rethinking-how-we-fight-malaria-in-southern-africa/https://www.sowetan.co.za/opinion/columnists/2026-11-05-tiaan-de-jager-and-taneshka-kruger-rethinking-how-we-fight-malaria-in-southern-africa/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 05:30:00 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

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

]]>SANDILE NDLOVU<![CDATA[MPIYAKHE DHLAMINI | South Africa needs a new path for STEM talent development]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/opinion/columnists/2026-11-04-mpiyakhe-dhlamini-south-africa-needs-a-new-path-for-stem-talent-development/https://www.sowetan.co.za/opinion/columnists/2026-11-04-mpiyakhe-dhlamini-south-africa-needs-a-new-path-for-stem-talent-development/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 07:13:57 +0000Anyone who grew up in a township knows how much human capital is wasted in that environment.

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

]]>123RF/daisy daisy<![CDATA[EIB says development finance must bridge gap between capital and projects]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-10-31-eib-says-development-finance-must-bridge-gap-between-capital-and-projects/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-10-31-eib-says-development-finance-must-bridge-gap-between-capital-and-projects/Sat, 31 Oct 2026 13:40:01 +0000The European Investment Bank’s head for Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean region, Jim Hodges, has called for closer co-operation between development finance institutions, governments and the private sector to turn investment commitments into projects that support economic growth and job creation.

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.

]]><![CDATA[Side hustles and debt: Rising living costs force consumers to seek new income ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-side-hustles-and-debt-rising-living-costs-force-consumers-to-seek-new-income/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-side-hustles-and-debt-rising-living-costs-force-consumers-to-seek-new-income/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 07:54:39 +0000More South Africans are looking for additional sources of income and considering taking on more debt to maintain their lifestyles as rising food, fuel and electricity costs put pressure on household finances.

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

]]>supplied<![CDATA[Water challenges in the spotlight in municipal election battle ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-water-challenges-in-the-spotlight-in-municipal-election-battle/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-water-challenges-in-the-spotlight-in-municipal-election-battle/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 07:50:44 +0000

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

]]>MASI LOSI<![CDATA[Pirates gunning for everything — Sibisi]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/sport/2026-11-05-pirates-gunning-for-everything-sibisi/https://www.sowetan.co.za/sport/2026-11-05-pirates-gunning-for-everything-sibisi/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

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

]]>BackpagePix/ Samuel Shivambu<![CDATA[WATCH | Ghanaian teen’s mother heads to US after son’s killing]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-watch-ghanaian-teens-mother-heads-to-us-after-sons-killing/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-05-watch-ghanaian-teens-mother-heads-to-us-after-sons-killing/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 07:36:02 +0000The mother of a Ghanaian teenager who was fatally shot in New York departed for the US on Wednesday after President Donald Trump intervened to grant her a visa to travel to attend her son’s funeral.

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

]]>Ghana Ministry of Foreign Affair<![CDATA[Woman set to appear in court for disrupting voting ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-woman-set-to-appear-in-court-for-disrupting-voting/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-woman-set-to-appear-in-court-for-disrupting-voting/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 07:35:17 +0000A 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.

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

]]>YASANTHA <![CDATA[Fake IDs, arrests and drunkenness all in a day’s voting]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-fake-ids-arrests-and-drunkenness-all-in-a-days-voting/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-fake-ids-arrests-and-drunkenness-all-in-a-days-voting/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 05:36:48 +0000From police being called to a polling station over a suspected fake ID to a police officer being removed for arriving in a politically branded vehicle, Wednesday’s local government elections were marked by a string of disruptions, confrontations and frustrated voters across the country.

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

]]>SANDILE NDLOVU<![CDATA[Troops deployed in Indonesia as president sacks aide accused of wiretapping]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-04-troops-deployed-in-indonesia-as-president-sacks-aide-accused-of-wiretapping/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-04-troops-deployed-in-indonesia-as-president-sacks-aide-accused-of-wiretapping/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 15:10:56 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

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

]]>Stringer<![CDATA[Trump election rebuke hands US trading partners room to resist]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-04-trump-election-rebuke-hands-us-trading-partners-room-to-resist/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-04-trump-election-rebuke-hands-us-trading-partners-room-to-resist/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 13:37:03 +0000By Jihoon Lee, Tamiyuki Kihara, Saurabh Sharma and Kevin Yao

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

]]>Mike Segar<![CDATA[EXPLAINER | How the US midterms affect the rest of the world]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-04-explainer-how-the-us-midterms-affect-the-rest-of-the-world/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-04-explainer-how-the-us-midterms-affect-the-rest-of-the-world/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 13:18:24 +0000The US Democrats’ “blue wave” of midterm election victories is already causing ripples across the rest of the world, where trade partners, strategic allies and enemies all see implications in the result.

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

]]>Majid Asgaripour<![CDATA[BANENG NAAPE | Is South Africa preparing for the wrong economic emergency?]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-baneng-naape-is-south-africa-preparing-for-the-wrong-economic-emergency/https://www.sowetan.co.za/opinion/2026-11-05-baneng-naape-is-south-africa-preparing-for-the-wrong-economic-emergency/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 06:43:24 +0000For years, the national debate has centred on load-shedding, broken railways and congested ports. Those constraints remain important, but another crisis that is moving steadily into the foreground is the erosion of the municipal government.

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

]]>Thulani Mbele<![CDATA[READER LETTER | Elite runners pay price for race blunders]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/opinion/letters/2026-11-05-reader-letter-elite-runners-pay-price-for-race-blunders/https://www.sowetan.co.za/opinion/letters/2026-11-05-reader-letter-elite-runners-pay-price-for-race-blunders/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 06:09:05 +0000Dear AGN and CGA leadership,

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

]]>123rf.com/ocusfocus<![CDATA[The AM Check-in | Voter turnout threatens to redraw SA’s political map]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-the-am-check-in-voter-turnout-threatens-to-redraw-sas-political-map/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-the-am-check-in-voter-turnout-threatens-to-redraw-sas-political-map/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 06:04:55 +0000Voter turnout threatens to redraw SA’s political map
President Cyril Ramaphosa cast his vote at Hyde Park High School in Johannesburg. Picture: Business Day/Freddy Mavunda
President Cyril Ramaphosa cast his vote at Hyde Park High School in Johannesburg. Picture: Business Day/Freddy Mavunda

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 says South Africa has been working to secure new export markets. File photo: Phando Jikelo
President Cyril Ramaphosa says South Africa has been working to secure new export markets. File photo: Phando Jikelo

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.

Story audio is generated using AI

Young and old come out for change

People cast their local government votes at Hyde Park High School in Johannesburg. Picture: Business Day/Freddy Mavunda
People cast their local government votes at Hyde Park High School in Johannesburg. Picture: Business Day/Freddy Mavunda

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.

Story audio is generated using AI

Sowetan

]]>SUPPLIED<![CDATA[WATCH | ‘What’s the point of voting?’ ask people who boycotted elections ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-watch-whats-the-point-of-voting-ask-people-who-boycotted-elections/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-watch-whats-the-point-of-voting-ask-people-who-boycotted-elections/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 05:53:29 +0000While 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.

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.

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

]]>Sontaga Letshelele<![CDATA[Politicians cast their votes in highly contested Joburg]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-politicians-cast-their-votes-in-highly-contested-joburg/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-politicians-cast-their-votes-in-highly-contested-joburg/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 05:48:28 +0000President 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 votes.

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.

“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.

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.

]]>Thapelo Morebudi<![CDATA[Ramaphosa says US midterms spark hope for a reset in world relations]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-04-ramaphosa-says-us-midterms-spark-hope-for-a-reset-in-world-relations/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-04-ramaphosa-says-us-midterms-spark-hope-for-a-reset-in-world-relations/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 10:54:35 +0000

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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

]]>Phando Jikelo<![CDATA[SOWETAN | Big day for democracy as millions cast votes]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/opinion/columnists/2026-11-05-sowetan-big-day-for-democracy-as-millions-cast-votes/https://www.sowetan.co.za/opinion/columnists/2026-11-05-sowetan-big-day-for-democracy-as-millions-cast-votes/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000

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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.

]]>MASI LOSI<![CDATA[Young and old come out for change]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-young-and-old-come-out-for-change/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-young-and-old-come-out-for-change/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000

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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

]]>Freddy Mavunda<![CDATA[Voter turnout threatens to redraw SA’s political map]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-voter-turnout-threatens-to-redraw-sas-political-map/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-05-voter-turnout-threatens-to-redraw-sas-political-map/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000

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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

]]>Freddy Mavunda<![CDATA[Rising star Malaika Gray: ‘I don’t want to be the next anybody’]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/s-mag/culture/2026-11-05-rising-star-malaika-gray-i-dont-want-to-be-the-next-anybody/https://www.sowetan.co.za/s-mag/culture/2026-11-05-rising-star-malaika-gray-i-dont-want-to-be-the-next-anybody/Thu, 05 Nov 2026 03:00:00 +0000

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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.

Rising star Malaika Gray is stepping into the spotlight with her debut single, My Fever, featuring Tanzanian bongo flava star Marioo.
Rising star Malaika Gray is stepping into the spotlight with her debut single, My Fever, featuring Tanzanian bongo flava star Marioo.

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.

Rising star Malaika Gray is stepping into the spotlight with her debut single, My Fever, featuring Tanzanian bongo flava star Marioo.
Rising star Malaika Gray is stepping into the spotlight with her debut single, My Fever, featuring Tanzanian bongo flava star Marioo.

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.

Rising star Malaika Gray is stepping into the spotlight with her debut single, My Fever, featuring Tanzanian bongo flava star Marioo.
Rising star Malaika Gray is stepping into the spotlight with her debut single, My Fever, featuring Tanzanian bongo flava star Marioo.

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.

Rising star Malaika Gray is stepping into the spotlight with her debut single, My Fever, featuring Tanzanian Bongo Flava star Marioo.
Rising star Malaika Gray is stepping into the spotlight with her debut single, My Fever, featuring Tanzanian Bongo Flava star Marioo.
Rising star Malaika Gray is stepping into the spotlight with her debut single, My Fever, featuring Tanzanian Bongo Flava star Marioo.
Rising star Malaika Gray is stepping into the spotlight with her debut single, My Fever, featuring Tanzanian Bongo Flava star Marioo.

Sowetan

]]>unvrskat <![CDATA[IEC assures voters they will not be turned away if they arrive before 9pm ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-04-iec-assures-voters-they-will-not-be-turned-away-if-they-arrive-before-9pm/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-04-iec-assures-voters-they-will-not-be-turned-away-if-they-arrive-before-9pm/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 16:52:41 +0000

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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

]]>MASI LOSI<![CDATA[WATCH | Old people standing in queues say they didn’t know about special votes]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-04-watch-old-people-standing-in-queues-say-they-didnt-know-about-special-votes/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-04-watch-old-people-standing-in-queues-say-they-didnt-know-about-special-votes/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 16:59:35 +0000

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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.

“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

]]>Michelle Banda<![CDATA[WATCH | IEC updates the media on SA’s local government elections ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-04-watch-live-iec-updates-the-media-on-sas-local-government-elections/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-04-watch-live-iec-updates-the-media-on-sas-local-government-elections/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 16:14:35 +0000The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) is updating the media on Wednesday about how the local government elections are progressing.

TimesLIVE

]]>Freddy Mavunda<![CDATA[Tesla ‘misled South Korean customers’ about automated driving: advocacy group]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/motoring/2026-11-04-tesla-misled-south-korean-customers-about-automated-driving-advocacy-group/https://www.sowetan.co.za/motoring/2026-11-04-tesla-misled-south-korean-customers-about-automated-driving-advocacy-group/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 16:08:48 +0000Tesla has misled tens of thousands of South Korean customers by marketing driver-assistance software that the company knows cannot be legally used in most of its vehicles in the country, according to a complaint an advocacy group plans to file with a consumer protection agency on Thursday.

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

]]>Kim Hong-Ji<![CDATA[WATCH LIVE | IEC briefs media on progress of local government elections ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/2026-11-04-recorded-iec-briefs-media-on-progress-of-local-government-elections/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/2026-11-04-recorded-iec-briefs-media-on-progress-of-local-government-elections/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 15:49:37 +0000The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) is briefing the media on Wednesday about how the local government elections are progressing.

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

]]>Picture: Freddy Mavunda/Business Day<![CDATA[WATCH | The Political Arena team is at the IEC results centre]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/2026-11-04-watch-live-the-political-arena-team-is-at-the-iec-results-centre/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/2026-11-04-watch-live-the-political-arena-team-is-at-the-iec-results-centre/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 13:53:43 +0000Arena Holdings’ senior politics reporters are coming to you live from the Electoral Commission of South Africa’s (IEC) results centre at Gallagher Estate in Midrand, Johannesburg, to unpack the latest developments as South Africans cast their ballots.

TimesLIVE

]]>Arena Holdin<![CDATA[Kingsol Chabalala confident DA will unseat ANC in Emfuleni ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-04-kingsol-chabalala-confident-da-will-unseat-anc-in-emfuleni/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-04-kingsol-chabalala-confident-da-will-unseat-anc-in-emfuleni/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 15:23:24 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

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.

]]>Antonio Muchave<![CDATA[Pensioner dies waiting to vote, party agent arrested: Quick take from voting day]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-04-pensioner-dies-waiting-to-vote-party-agent-arrested-quick-take-from-voting-day/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-04-pensioner-dies-waiting-to-vote-party-agent-arrested-quick-take-from-voting-day/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 15:00:00 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

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

]]>Freddy Mavunda<![CDATA[No water, no vote: some Bronkhorstspruit residents skip election]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-04-no-water-no-vote-some-bronkhorstspruit-residents-skip-election/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-04-no-water-no-vote-some-bronkhorstspruit-residents-skip-election/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 15:04:20 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

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

]]>Thulani Mbele<![CDATA[Inflation’s political poison shows in US polls ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/opinion/2026-11-04-inflations-political-poison-shows-in-us-polls/https://www.sowetan.co.za/opinion/2026-11-04-inflations-political-poison-shows-in-us-polls/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 15:01:47 +0000By Jamie McGeever

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

]]>Dorothy Kgosi<![CDATA[Voted? Here’s where to get free coffee, beer, treats on election day]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-04-voted-heres-where-to-get-free-coffee-beer-treats-on-election-day/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/2026-11-04-voted-heres-where-to-get-free-coffee-beer-treats-on-election-day/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 05:57:05 +0000As South Africans head to the polls on Wednesday for the local government elections, several restaurants and businesses are offering freebies and deals to celebrate voters exercising their civic duty.

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.

2. Krispy Kreme: get one free Original Glazed doughnut per voter at any Krispy Kreme outlet when presenting your marked thumb.

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.

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.

6. Zuney Wagyu: head to the restaurant with a marked thumb to receive a free portion of fries.

7. Ramoon Café: claim a complimentary coffee on election day by showing proof of voting.

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

]]>Koena Mashale<![CDATA[WATCH | Limpopo voters boycott elections ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-04-watch-limpopo-voters-boycott-elections/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-04-watch-limpopo-voters-boycott-elections/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 14:34:25 +0000While 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.

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.

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

]]>Sontaga Letshelele<![CDATA[WATCH | SA diversifying trade after US Agoa exclusion, says Ramaphosa ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/2026-11-04-watch-sa-diversifying-trade-after-us-agoa-exclusion-says-ramaphosa/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/2026-11-04-watch-sa-diversifying-trade-after-us-agoa-exclusion-says-ramaphosa/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 14:34:51 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

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.

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

]]>Freddy Mavunda<![CDATA[Iranian officials gloat as US voters deal blow to Trump]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-04-iranian-officials-gloat-as-us-voters-deal-blow-to-trump/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-04-iranian-officials-gloat-as-us-voters-deal-blow-to-trump/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 14:45:17 +0000Iran’s government savoured the stinging rebuke delivered to Donald Trump in his country’s midterm elections, declaring voters had rejected the war launched by the US president even as Tehran remained on high alert for the possibility of renewed strikes.

“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”.

]]>Majid Asgaripour<![CDATA[‘Councillors must prioritise voters,’ says Mashatile]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-04-councillors-must-prioritise-voters-says-mashatile/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-04-councillors-must-prioritise-voters-says-mashatile/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 14:26:10 +0000

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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

]]>Thapelo Morebudi<![CDATA[WATCH | Pensioners turn out in numbers at Hammanskraal voting stations]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-04-watch-pensioners-turn-out-in-numbers-at-hammanskraal-voting-stations/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-04-watch-pensioners-turn-out-in-numbers-at-hammanskraal-voting-stations/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 08:35:51 +0000

Story audio is generated using AI

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.

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.

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

]]>Thulani Mbele<![CDATA[IN PICS | South Africans head to the polls ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-04-in-pics-south-africans-head-to-the-polls/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/elections-2026/2026-11-04-in-pics-south-africans-head-to-the-polls/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 07:34:09 +0000Voters 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.

Only a handful of people could be seen at the Joe Slovo tent voting station in KwaLanga in the afternoon, with little activity reported. Picture: Yoliswa Sobuwa
Only a handful of people could be seen at the Joe Slovo tent voting station in KwaLanga in the afternoon, with little activity reported. Picture: Yoliswa Sobuwa
Randburg residents vote at the Bordeaux Primary School voting station. Picture: Masi Losi
Randburg residents vote at the Bordeaux Primary School voting station. Picture: Masi Losi
Randburg residents stand in a long line outside Bordeaux Primary School rushing to cast their votes before the close of voting. Picture: Masi Losi
Randburg residents stand in a long line outside Bordeaux Primary School rushing to cast their votes before the close of voting. Picture: Masi Losi
Emfuleni residents from Bophelong, Sebokeng, Hostel and Everton queuing at their voting station. Picture: Antonio Muchave
Emfuleni residents from Bophelong, Sebokeng, Hostel and Everton queuing at their voting station. Picture: Antonio Muchave
Emfuleni residents from Bophelong, Sebokeng, Hostel and Everton have called for improved service delivery as they cast their votes in the local government elections. They hope the elections will bring change, with sewage problems, pothole-riddled roads, unemployment and rising youth involvement in drugs and crime among the issues they want the incoming leadership to address. Picture: Antonio Muchave
Emfuleni residents from Bophelong, Sebokeng, Hostel and Everton have called for improved service delivery as they cast their votes in the local government elections. They hope the elections will bring change, with sewage problems, pothole-riddled roads, unemployment and rising youth involvement in drugs and crime among the issues they want the incoming leadership to address. Picture: Antonio Muchave

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

Ntombifuthi Ngwenya, 65, who arrived to vote at Ward 112, was turned away after officials found that she was registered to vote at eThekwini in KwaZulu-Natal. Ngwenya said she was unaware that she needed to change her voting station after relocating to Ekurhuleni. Picture: Mmatumelo Lebjane
Ntombifuthi Ngwenya, 65, who arrived to vote at Ward 112, was turned away after officials found that she was registered to vote at eThekwini in KwaZulu-Natal. Ngwenya said she was unaware that she needed to change her voting station after relocating to Ekurhuleni. Picture: Mmatumelo Lebjane
Voters queing at a voting station in Summerset, Midrand. Picture: Mukovhe Mulidzwi
Voters queing at a voting station in Summerset, Midrand. Picture: Mukovhe Mulidzwi
Voters queue at Millpark Primary School in Melville, Johannesburg. Picture: Refilwe Kholomonyane
Voters queue at Millpark Primary School in Melville, Johannesburg. Picture: Refilwe Kholomonyane
Rubbish remains uncollected outside Millpark Primary School in Melville, a Johannesburg suburb that has experienced water issues for the past two years. Picture: Refilwe Kholomonyane
Rubbish remains uncollected outside Millpark Primary School in Melville, a Johannesburg suburb that has experienced water issues for the past two years. Picture: Refilwe Kholomonyane
Residents turned out in their numbers to cast their votes at Mojala Thuto Primary School in Sebokeng on Wednesday. Picture: Antonio Muchave
Residents turned out in their numbers to cast their votes at Mojala Thuto Primary School in Sebokeng on Wednesday. Picture: Antonio Muchave
Voters at Mojala Thuto Primary School in Sebokeng. Picture: Antonio Muchave
Voters at Mojala Thuto Primary School in Sebokeng. Picture: Antonio Muchave
Waiting to mark their ballot papers at Mojala Thuto Primary School. Picture: Antonio Muchave
Waiting to mark their ballot papers at Mojala Thuto Primary School. Picture: Antonio Muchave
Set to cast their votes at Milpark Primary School in Melville. Picture: Refilwe Kholomonyane
Set to cast their votes at Milpark Primary School in Melville. Picture: Refilwe Kholomonyane
Former president Thabo Mbeki with MK Party senior leader advocate Dali Mpofu before casting their votes at Killarney Country Club in Johannesburg. Picture: Masi Losi
Former president Thabo Mbeki with MK Party senior leader advocate Dali Mpofu before casting their votes at Killarney Country Club in Johannesburg. Picture: Masi Losi
DA mayoral candidate Kingsol Chabalala in Emfuleni said protecting municipal finances will be a priority, with an assessment of its cash flow planned within the first 100 days. Picture: Antonio Muchave
DA mayoral candidate Kingsol Chabalala in Emfuleni said protecting municipal finances will be a priority, with an assessment of its cash flow planned within the first 100 days. Picture: Antonio Muchave
Johannes Sono spoke about service delivery at ward 80 in Rabie Ridge. Picture: Mukovhe Mulidzwi
Johannes Sono spoke about service delivery at ward 80 in Rabie Ridge. Picture: Mukovhe Mulidzwi
Abbotsford Tennis Club in KuGompo City was busy from early morning. A community member said people were prepared to wait until the end of the day to cast their votes. Picture: Supplied
Abbotsford Tennis Club in KuGompo City was busy from early morning. A community member said people were prepared to wait until the end of the day to cast their votes. Picture: Supplied
Susan van Royn, a pensioner with an injured knee, highlighted service delivery issues in ward 80 in Rabie Ridge. Picture: Mukovhe Mulidzwi
Susan van Royn, a pensioner with an injured knee, highlighted service delivery issues in ward 80 in Rabie Ridge. Picture: Mukovhe Mulidzwi
Vusi Ngidi talking about service delivery in Rabie Ridge. Picture: Mukovhe Mulidzwi
Vusi Ngidi talking about service delivery in Rabie Ridge. Picture: Mukovhe Mulidzwi
Elderly residents wait to vote outside Sivuyiseni Primary School in Mandela Park, Khayelitsha, in the Western Cape, where turnout was slow. As at several other voting stations, the slow turnout comes amid complaints from community members about poor service delivery, with residents expressing frustration over the lack of meaningful improvements in their areas. Picture: Yoliswa Sobuwa
Elderly residents wait to vote outside Sivuyiseni Primary School in Mandela Park, Khayelitsha, in the Western Cape, where turnout was slow. As at several other voting stations, the slow turnout comes amid complaints from community members about poor service delivery, with residents expressing frustration over the lack of meaningful improvements in their areas. Picture: Yoliswa Sobuwa
Voting day at Etshanini Public Space in ward 112 in Ekurhuleni was quiet in the morning with no long queues. Picture: Mmatumelo Lebjane
Voting day at Etshanini Public Space in ward 112 in Ekurhuleni was quiet in the morning with no long queues. Picture: Mmatumelo Lebjane
DA eThekwini mayoral candidate Haniff Hoosen cast his vote at Glenview Primary in Chatsworth with his wife Sharon and daughter Amarni. Picture: Yasantha Naidoo
DA eThekwini mayoral candidate Haniff Hoosen cast his vote at Glenview Primary in Chatsworth with his wife Sharon and daughter Amarni. Picture: Yasantha Naidoo
Residents turned out to cast their votes at Mojala Thuto Primary School in Sebokeng on Wednesday. Picture: Antonio Muchave
Residents turned out to cast their votes at Mojala Thuto Primary School in Sebokeng on Wednesday. Picture: Antonio Muchave
The DA’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille voted at Emmarentia Primary School. Picture: Refilwe Kholomonyane
The DA’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille voted at Emmarentia Primary School. Picture: Refilwe Kholomonyane
Residents in Bophelong, near Vanderbijlpark, casting their votes, with some saying poor service delivery and youth unemployment are among the key issues that motivated them to participate in the elections. Picture: Antonio Muchave
Residents in Bophelong, near Vanderbijlpark, casting their votes, with some saying poor service delivery and youth unemployment are among the key issues that motivated them to participate in the elections. Picture: Antonio Muchave
Residents in Bophelong casting their votes on Wednesday morning. Picture: Antonio Muchave
Residents in Bophelong casting their votes on Wednesday morning. Picture: Antonio Muchave
Many Bophelong residents cast their votes early on Wednesday morning. Picture: Antonio Muchave
Many Bophelong residents cast their votes early on Wednesday morning. Picture: Antonio Muchave
Some Bophelong voters said poor service delivery and youth unemployment were issues for them. Picture: Antonio Muchave
Some Bophelong voters said poor service delivery and youth unemployment were issues for them. Picture: Antonio Muchave
An IEC official with ballot papers in Bophelong. Picture: Antonio Muchave
An IEC official with ballot papers in Bophelong. Picture: Antonio Muchave
Voters queue at Hyde Park High School in Johannesburg, where President Cyril Ramaphosa was set to cast his vote. Picture: Thando Maeko
Voters queue at Hyde Park High School in Johannesburg, where President Cyril Ramaphosa was set to cast his vote. Picture: Thando Maeko
A Bophelong resident is handed ballot papers. Picture: Antonio Muchave
A Bophelong resident is handed ballot papers. Picture: Antonio Muchave
Voters queue at the Harvest Church in Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal, where MK Party mayoral candidate Mxolisi Phakathi was expected to vote. Picture: Chris Makhaye
Voters queue at the Harvest Church in Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal, where MK Party mayoral candidate Mxolisi Phakathi was expected to vote. Picture: Chris Makhaye
Early morning voting at the Harvest Church in Umhlanga. Picture: Chris Makhaye
Early morning voting at the Harvest Church in Umhlanga. Picture: Chris Makhaye
Voters heading to the Harvest Church in Umhlanga. Picture: Chris Makhaye
Voters heading to the Harvest Church in Umhlanga. Picture: Chris Makhaye
Residents cast their votes at Sandton fire station in Gauteng. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
Residents cast their votes at Sandton fire station in Gauteng. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
Voters at the Sandton fire station. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
Voters at the Sandton fire station. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
Voters turned out in large numbers at the Sandton fire station. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
Voters turned out in large numbers at the Sandton fire station. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
Early morning voting at Sandton fire station. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
Early morning voting at Sandton fire station. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
The IEC logo at the Sandton fire station. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
The IEC logo at the Sandton fire station. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
A woman casts her vote at the Sandton fire station. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
A woman casts her vote at the Sandton fire station. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
Voters queue at the Sandton fire station. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
Voters queue at the Sandton fire station. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
IEC officials and voters at Sandton fire station. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
IEC officials and voters at Sandton fire station. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
Early morning voting was brisk at the Sandton fire station. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
Early morning voting was brisk at the Sandton fire station. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
Many voters were keen to get in early at the Sandton fire station. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
Many voters were keen to get in early at the Sandton fire station. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
Voting activity at the Sandton fire station. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
Voting activity at the Sandton fire station. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
IEC officials presiding over activities in Sandton. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
IEC officials presiding over activities in Sandton. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
South Africans set to cast their local government votes in Sandton. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
South Africans set to cast their local government votes in Sandton. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
An early start to voting in Sandton. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
An early start to voting in Sandton. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
The Sandton fire station filled with early morning voters. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
The Sandton fire station filled with early morning voters. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
Voters at Killarney Country Club waiting to cast their votes. Former presidents Kgalema Motlanthe and Thabo Mbeki cast their votes at this station. Picture: Masi Losi
Voters at Killarney Country Club waiting to cast their votes. Former presidents Kgalema Motlanthe and Thabo Mbeki cast their votes at this station. Picture: Masi Losi
Voters at Killarney Country Club in Johannesburg. Picture: Masi Losi
Voters at Killarney Country Club in Johannesburg. Picture: Masi Losi
The morning queue at Killarney Country Club. Picture: Masi Losi
The morning queue at Killarney Country Club. Picture: Masi Losi
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba arrives at the Sandton fire station to vote. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba arrives at the Sandton fire station to vote. Picture: Thapelo Morebudi
Voters queueing in Rabie Ridge near Midrand. Picture: Mukovhe Mulidzwi
Voters queueing in Rabie Ridge near Midrand. Picture: Mukovhe Mulidzwi
eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba arrivies at Cowies Hill Community Hall to cast his vote. Picture: Mlungisi Mhlophe-Gumede
eThekwini mayor Cyril Xaba arrivies at Cowies Hill Community Hall to cast his vote. Picture: Mlungisi Mhlophe-Gumede
Durban CBD resident Pearl Mbatha, 34, waited in a snaking queue outside the Durban Music Centre from 6am. She came armed with a camping chair and is determined her vote will make a change in a city she said is plagued with service delivery issues. Picture: Yasantha Naidoo
Durban CBD resident Pearl Mbatha, 34, waited in a snaking queue outside the Durban Music Centre from 6am. She came armed with a camping chair and is determined her vote will make a change in a city she said is plagued with service delivery issues. Picture: Yasantha Naidoo
Several hundred people queued outside the Durban Music Centre in the CBD, which has been plagued by violence and looting in recent weeks. The MK Party’s music added to the voting vibe. Picture: Yasantha Naidoo
Several hundred people queued outside the Durban Music Centre in the CBD, which has been plagued by violence and looting in recent weeks. The MK Party’s music added to the voting vibe. Picture: Yasantha Naidoo
Pumlani Dilima could not cast his vote as he had a broken ID card. Picture: Yoliswa Sobuwa
Pumlani Dilima could not cast his vote as he had a broken ID card. Picture: Yoliswa Sobuwa
Most voting stations were quiet in Nyanga in the Western Cape. Picture: Yoliswa Sobuwa
Most voting stations were quiet in Nyanga in the Western Cape. Picture: Yoliswa Sobuwa
Zuko Jada was turned away for wearing an ANC T-shirt. Picture: Yoliswa Sobuwa
Zuko Jada was turned away for wearing an ANC T-shirt. Picture: Yoliswa Sobuwa
The DA’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille waiting to cast her vote. Picture: Refilwe Kholomonyane
The DA’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille waiting to cast her vote. Picture: Refilwe Kholomonyane
A man casts his vote at Ntolwane Primary School in ward 14, Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal. Picture: Sandile Ndlovu
A man casts his vote at Ntolwane Primary School in ward 14, Nkandla, KwaZulu-Natal. Picture: Sandile Ndlovu
Babongile Sikhakhane, 60, receives her ballot papers at Ntolwane Primary School in KwaZulu-Natal. Picture: Sandile Ndlovu
Babongile Sikhakhane, 60, receives her ballot papers at Ntolwane Primary School in KwaZulu-Natal. Picture: Sandile Ndlovu
A man's thumb in inked at Ntolwane Primary School in Nkandla. Picture: Sandile Ndlovu
A man's thumb in inked at Ntolwane Primary School in Nkandla. Picture: Sandile Ndlovu
A woman casts her vote at Ntolwane Primary School. Picture: Sandile Ndlovu
A woman casts her vote at Ntolwane Primary School. Picture: Sandile Ndlovu
The scene on election day at Ntolwane Primary School. Picture: Sandile Ndlovu
The scene on election day at Ntolwane Primary School. Picture: Sandile Ndlovu
A woman leaves Ntolwane Primary School after casting her vote on Wednesday morning. Picture: Sandile Ndlovu
A woman leaves Ntolwane Primary School after casting her vote on Wednesday morning. Picture: Sandile Ndlovu

TimesLIVE

]]>Thapelo Morebudi<![CDATA[Democratic sweep positive for US credit rating outlook: Scope Ratings]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-04-democratic-sweep-positive-for-us-credit-rating-outlook-scope-ratings/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-04-democratic-sweep-positive-for-us-credit-rating-outlook-scope-ratings/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 13:47:11 +0000The Democratic sweep of the US midterm elections is positive for the country’s sovereign credit rating, Europe-based credit rating agency Scope Ratings said on Wednesday.

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

]]>Eric Lee<![CDATA[Ethiopia expels Sudanese diplomats after claims of rebel support]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/africa/2026-11-04-ethiopia-expels-sudanese-diplomats-after-claims-of-rebel-support/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/africa/2026-11-04-ethiopia-expels-sudanese-diplomats-after-claims-of-rebel-support/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 13:09:25 +0000Ethiopia has ordered six Sudanese diplomats to leave the country, a senior Ethiopian official said on Wednesday, marking a further deterioration in relations between the two sides over allegations each is supporting the other’s enemies.

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

]]>Tiksa Negeri<![CDATA[WATCH | Don’t let service delivery issues stop you from voting: Limpopo premier Ramathuba]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/2026-11-04-watch-dont-let-service-delivery-issues-stop-you-from-voting-limpopo-premier-ramathuba/https://www.sowetan.co.za/politics/2026-11-04-watch-dont-let-service-delivery-issues-stop-you-from-voting-limpopo-premier-ramathuba/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 11:36:40 +0000Limpopo 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.

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

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

]]>Sontaga Letshelele<![CDATA[Elon Musk’s business empire braces for Democratic wave as Texas flips blue ]]>https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-04-elon-musks-business-empire-braces-for-democratic-wave-as-texas-flips-blue/https://www.sowetan.co.za/news/world/2026-11-04-elon-musks-business-empire-braces-for-democratic-wave-as-texas-flips-blue/Wed, 04 Nov 2026 13:05:37 +0000

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

]]>Evan Vucci