The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) will conduct its Election Satisfaction Survey (ESS) on election day during next Wednesday’s Local Government Elections, encouraging South Africans to share their experiences of the electoral process. This year’s elections hold historical significance, marking 30 years since South Africa held its first democratic municipal elections in 1995/96. Speaking on YOU FM Newshour, Dr Steven Gordon, Chief Research Specialist in the HSRC’s Developmental, Capable and Ethical State Research Division, urged voters to participate in the…

Police fired rubber bullets and made arrests during a protest at Nana’s Farm informal settlement in Lenasia, south of Johannesburg, on Monday morning. Residents blocked the N12 highway to demand access to basic services, including water and electricity. With nine days remaining before voting day in the local government elections, residents took to the streets to demand urgent intervention from authorities over what they described as years of inadequate service delivery. Protesters blocked roads using bricks, rocks, wood and burning…

Water and Sanitation Minister Pemmy Majodina has urged residents of Bronkhorstspruit to wash their hands frequently, despite the severe water shortages affecting the area following the decommissioning of the Bronkhorstspruit Water Treatment Works (BWTW). The plant operated without chlorination from 24 September to 14 October 2026 due to supply issues. The unchlorinated water mixed with sewage pollution from failing upstream wastewater infrastructure, resulting in extremely high levels of E. coli and total coliforms. More than 800 people, many of them…