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Bakerton Community Hall voting station
ELECTIONS

Shorter queues, high satisfaction — but voter trust in IEC slips

An HSRC survey reveals South African voters experienced shorter queues and were satisfied with the 2026 municipal elections, even as trust in the IEC continues to slip.

  • Sheree Bega
5 min read
ELECTIONS

Why voters must put competence before race

South Africa's democracy can only deliver prosperity and better services when citizens move beyond racial and ethnic voting lines to demand accountability and competence.

  • William Gumede
4 min read
In suspense: ANC deputy secretary-general Nomvula Mokonyane at the party booth at the IEC results centre. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy
ELECTIONS

ANC may need a blue lifeline in Joburg

As election results point to a tight race in Johannesburg, the ANC may be pushed toward an uneasy coalition with the DA despite fierce resistance from local party leaders.

  • Lunga Mzangwe
7 min read
Elections: More than three decades into democracy, many voters approached polling stations with a simple question: who can fix the potholes, keep the taps running and keep the lights on. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy
ELECTIONS

A historic election for South Africa

Fed up with widespread service delivery failures and unstable municipal coalitions, millions of South Africans took to the polls in a pivotal local government election defined by…

  • Marlan Padayachee
6 min read
Frustration: There’s a growing disillusionment among young people who have become increasingly sceptical of the political promises made to them.
ELECTIONS

‘They have forgotten us’

In Tembisa, community members grapple with voter fatigue, persistent service delivery failures, and shifting political loyalties as traditional parties lose ground.

  • Lesego Chepape
6 min read
Mind the gap: Nelson Mandela Bay municipality demonstrates how repeated political changes become a problem. Photo: NMBM
POLITICS

Sharing power is easy; governing is hard

As South African municipalities grapple with water crises and unstable leadership, coalition governance faces a crucial test: moving beyond survival politics toward transparent,…

  • Xolelwa Kashe-Katiya
4 min read
Power of dialogue: Former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos often invokes the words of Nelson Mandela: “The most powerful weapon is [the ability] to sit down and talk.” Photo: UN
POLITICS

The dangerous price of silence

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Juan Manuel Santos brings vital lessons from Colombia’s peace process to Cape Town as he delivers the 24th Nelson Mandela Annual Lecture.

  • Mbongiseni Buthelezi
4 min read
Infrastructure: Every rand must do its job and every post in the municipality must be occupied only by the correctly qualified person. Photo: Mkhondo Municipality
GOVERNANCE

The culture of mediocrity ends

An analysis of widespread municipal underperformance in South Africa reveals deep systemic failures in capital budget spending, infrastructure maintenance, and governance,…

  • Sandile Swana
7 min read
Filling the void: Although the absence of international election observers during the 4 November elections raises questions about oversight, it does not mean an election lacks credibility. Domestic observers, political party agents, civil society organisations and journalists can also play essential roles. Photo: IEC
ELECTIONS

The ballot box is only the beginning

South Africa’s local elections present a crucial test of electoral integrity and democratic resilience, demonstrating whether declining support for ruling parties can coexist…

  • Turkmen Terzi
6 min read
Leadership: Political parties entering coalition arrangements must place people's wellbeing above political expediency, personal ambitions and the endless contest for positions. Public office is not an opportunity to divide the spoils of political power, but a responsibility to improve lives. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy
GOVERNANCE

When hunger knocked, we answered. Will our leaders do the same?

Reflecting on frontline food relief during the COVID-19 pandemic, Sello Hatang outlines crucial lessons on compassion, dignity, and anti-corruption for South Africa's incoming…

  • Sello Hatang
8 min read
Hoping for change: First-time voter Timarie Grobler and her mother, Annemarie, after casting her vote in Kempton Park. Photo: Brian Sokutu
ELECTIONS

My first vote, my future

First-time voter Timarie Grobler cast her ballot in Kempton Park hoping for jobs, unity, and better infrastructure, as analysts urge parties to take South Africa's crucial youth…

  • Brian Sokutu
4 min read
Questionable conduct: EFF leader Julius Malema has denied that his statements unfairly maligned and undermined the credibility of the judges and the judiciary. Photo: EFF
POLITICS

Helen Suzman Foundation wants Malema out of JSC

The Helen Suzman Foundation's legal bid to remove EFF leader Julius Malema from the Judicial Service Commission is set to be heard in the Western Cape High Court next week.

  • Loyiso Sidimba
6 min read
ELECTIONS

The mystery EFF voter in Orania strikes again

The Economic Freedom Fighters have once again secured a single vote in the conservative Afrikaner town of Orania during the 2026 local government elections, reviving curiosity…

  • Amahle Banda
2 min read
Voting in Johannesburg. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)
ELECTIONS

Beyond the ballot box, the people watching over South Africa’s elections

Beyond the political parties and candidates, thousands of election workers and observers ensure voting day functions. From managing queues to tackling accessibility hurdles,…

  • Amahle Banda
6 min read
ELECTIONS

LIVE: Local government elections results

Follow the live outcomes and real-time counts of the South African local government elections with our interactive results dashboard.