Author: Kgaogelo Magolego
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) says a record number of candidates have registered to contest the November 4 local government elections. The commission briefed the media at its Centurion headquarters on Wednesday, where it revealed that 136,790 candidates are set to contest the upcoming elections, with thousands of local council seats up for grabs. “An unprecedented 136,790 candidates have satisfied the statutory requirements to contest seats across the eight metropolitan municipalities, 44 district municipalities and 205 local municipalities throughout the country,” the IEC said. “There are cumulatively 10,526 seats to be contested across the board. To put these numbers into…
President Cyril Ramaphosa has formally declared 4 November 2026, the date of the Local Government Elections, a public holiday. The Presidency made the announcement in a statement on Wednesday. “President Cyril Ramaphosa has, in terms of Section 2A of the Public Holidays Act of 1994, declared Wednesday, 4 November 2026 – the date for the Local Government Elections – a public holiday throughout the country,” the Presidency said. The move is aimed at allowing millions of registered voters to cast their ballots in the only elections in which residents directly elect ward-based representatives. “The President calls on all registered voters…
The South African government says it has successfully relocated the last group of migrants who had gathered outside the Department of Home Affairs offices on Che Guevara Road in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal. The Department of Home Affairs announced on Wednesday morning that the 274 migrants had arrived safely in Gauteng and were being settled at the Lindela Repatriation Centre in Krugersdorp. The department had initially arranged to relocate all 278 migrants, but four opted to remain in Durban, where they hope to return to the communities in which they previously lived. “278 individuals had initially agreed to be transferred, but four…
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has accused Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya of threatening Gauteng’s water security by disconnecting electricity to a Johannesburg Water reservoir in Centurion. DA spokesperson on water and sanitation Stephen Moore said the decision by the City of Tshwane’s coalition government to “unilaterally” disconnect electricity to the reservoir, while Gauteng is experiencing widespread water outages, was “deeply reckless and irresponsible”. Moore’s comments come as Rand Water deals with disruptions to pumping operations at its Vereeniging water treatment plant following a power outage in Emfuleni Municipality. The disruption has affected several water supply systems. “The issue is not the…
ActionSA is facing criticism over its approach to election debates after party leader Herman Mashaba withdrew from at least two public engagements involving other mayoral candidates. The latest development has prompted the party to announce its own Gauteng Metro Mayoral Candidate Townhall, featuring several of its candidates in what it describes as a debate. Mashaba’s decision not to participate in debates has drawn criticism from political opponents, including former Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Helen Zille, who is among the candidates contesting the City of Johannesburg mayoral race. Mashaba previously said he would not share a platform with Zille, whom he…
South Africa has reacted with outrage following the discovery of the body of a sixth woman in Ekurhuleni. The latest victim was found on the side of a road in Kwa-Thema, Springs, on Tuesday morning. She was reportedly found partially clothed, raising concerns that she may have been sexually assaulted, similar to allegations surrounding some of the women whose bodies were discovered in the Kempton Park area over the past two months. Police have yet to confirm whether the latest death is linked to the other cases. President Cyril Ramaphosa has condemned the killings and called for swift action by…
The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has heard that members of the public are allegedly too afraid to report misconduct by Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officers, amid claims of widespread criminal activity within the force. Superintendent Elmarie de Beer, Head of the JMPD Internal Affairs Unit, told the commission that there is significant under-reporting of alleged misconduct because complainants fear retaliation from armed officers. De Beer was the first witness to testify when the commission resumed public hearings following a brief recess. She said some members of the public would rather lose money or property than pursue complaints against JMPD…
The Madlanga Commission is set to resume public hearings at the Bridget Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria after a break of more than a week. The inquiry is expected to accelerate proceedings as it faces growing time constraints while investigating allegations of criminal infiltration, corruption and political interference within South Africa’s criminal justice system. On Tuesday, the commission will turn its attention to the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), with a senior official expected to testify about the alleged theft of drugs by law enforcement officers during and after a drug bust in Aeroton, Johannesburg. Commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels said…
The City of Tshwane has rejected allegations of fraud and bribery in the recruitment of 200 new metro police officers, saying an independent forensic investigation found that the overwhelming majority of recruits met the requirements for appointment. The recruits officially began their careers in law enforcement at a pass-out ceremony attended by Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya. Moya apologised to the recruits for not engaging with them earlier, explaining that she deliberately kept her distance while allegations surrounding the recruitment process were being investigated. “Allegations had been raised by members of the public about possible corruption in the recruitment process. I…
Police have vowed to leave no stone unturned in the search for whoever is responsible for the killings of women in Gauteng’s Kempton Park area, following the discovery of a fifth body on Monday morning. On the same day, the family of 38-year-old Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselakgomo positively identified her body at the Germiston mortuary. Moselakgomo disappeared on Wednesday, 9 September 2026, after leaving her home in Rhodesfield, Kempton Park, to go for an afternoon run. This follows the discovery of a fifth body in Gauteng on Monday, as investigations into a number of cases involving the deaths of women in…