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latest news & developments

Axed from party lists, Joburg councillors threaten to skip final council sitting

Several City of Johannesburg councillors excluded from candidate lists ahead of the local government elections are planning to boycott the final council sitting.

Suspended EMPD deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy

Julius Mkhwanazi fired by Ekurhuleni Metro

The City of Ekurhuleni has dismissed suspended EMPD deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi following internal misconduct proceedings, as he remains behind bars facing murder and…

Ripple effect: The murders in Ekurhuleni were a symptom of the corruption and lack of service delivery in the city, political parties say. Photos: Supplied

Women pay for leadership failures

Political leaders point to corrupt policing, service delivery failures, and a breakdown in municipal leadership as key drivers behind the rising number of unsolved murders and…

Latest trend: Several parties are deploying senior national figures as mayoral candidates, among them the EFF who has put forward Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi in eThekwini. Photo: EFF KZN

Race for mayors is now a national game

As senior political leaders step into the ring for mayoral seats ahead of the 2026 local elections, questions arise over whether municipalities are being treated as serious…

Potholes become Joburg election battleground for upcoming polls

As Johannesburg residents navigate damaged tyres and cratered streets, potholes have evolved from costly daily nuisances into powerful political symbols ahead of the local…

Frustrated IEC needs R300m to collect missing addresses for voter registration

546 political parties to contest 2026 local government elections

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has confirmed that 546 political parties and over 142,000 nominated candidates will contest the upcoming local government elections…

Nelson Mandela Bay mayor Babalwa Lobishe faces defamation suit from Khusta Jack over council remarks

Nelson Mandela Bay Executive Mayor Babalwa Lobishe faces legal action after struggle veteran and councillor Mkhuseli 'Khusta' Jack filed a defamation lawsuit over comments…

The landlord has arrived’: MK’s Baloyi vows to shake up Joburg election

MK Party Johannesburg mayoral candidate Bongani Baloyi promises municipal stability and aims to disrupt the upcoming local government elections across township and suburban…

Coalitions Bill heralds new political era

As coalition governments become the norm across South Africa's municipalities, Parliament is weighing the Coalitions Bill with key governance and stability lessons drawn from…

The Democratic Alliance.

DA to lay criminal charges against 10 municipal managers over failures of financial management

The Democratic Alliance (DA) is taking decisive action, announcing criminal charges against 10 municipal managers from nine municipalities across South Africa. The charges stem…

Poet, provocateur, now mayoral hopeful

South African poet, musician, and social activist Ntsiki Mazwai, known for her outspoken views, is now the Land Party's mayoral candidate for Johannesburg. She aims to bring…

Voting in Johannesburg’s outer west suburbs on 29 May, 2024.
(Delwyn Verasamy, Mail & Guardian)

The Republic must be rebuilt from the pavement up

As South Africa prepares for the local government elections on 4 November 2026, the African National Congress calls for honesty, humility, and resolve, urging a national…

PAC announces former ANC member, Thami Ka Plaatjie, as its Joburg mayoral candidate

The Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) has named former ANC member Thami Ka Plaatjie as its mayoral candidate for Johannesburg. The party also announced candidates for Ekurhuleni,…

As voters, we have to scrutinise policies carefully and use our voting power to force parties to address the climate crisis. (Delwyn Verasamy/M&G)

IEC adds 754 000 new voters over two registration weekends

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has significantly boosted the national voters' roll, adding 754,000 first-time voters during its June and August registration…

Minister urged to rescue collapsing Gqeberha metro

Gqeberha, formerly Port Elizabeth, is facing a severe service delivery collapse due to mismanagement and political infighting. A veteran anti-apartheid activist is now calling…