South Africa Reveals Timeline for Local Elections
(MENAFN) South Africa’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) announced Tuesday that the next local government elections will take place between November 2, 2026, and the end of January 2027.
During a press briefing in Pretoria, IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo confirmed that the five-year tenure of councillors elected in 2021 is set to end on November 2, 2026. He explained that the responsibility to set the precise election date rests with Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa, who is required to consult the IEC before officially calling the elections. Mamabolo also noted that discussions regarding the election timing are currently in progress.
Highlighting political shifts, Mamabolo revealed that 34 new political parties have been registered since the 2024 general election, with 13 added since July alone. This brings the total number of registered parties to 472—287 at the national level and 185 at provincial, district, or municipal tiers.
Regarding election logistics, Mamabolo urged the public to actively participate in ongoing discussions about introducing electronic voting. However, he stressed that physical ballot papers will remain in use for the upcoming municipal elections due to the absence of a national policy and legal framework for e-voting.
South Africa’s last local government elections, held on November 1, 2021, resulted in hung councils across most of the country’s eight metropolitan municipalities.
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