Ramaphosa proclaims 4 November for local govt elections

President Cyril Ramaphosa has turned the heat up in what’s expected to be the country’s most hotly contested local government elections, with the announcement of a date for the polls. Voters will have their pick on 4 November 2026.

Ramaphosa proclaimed the date during the extended Presidential Coordinating Council (PCC) meeting in Boksburg on Thursday.

Read:
Ramaphosa urges ANC to act on policy as vote looms
South Africa’s ANC lags main rival in new voter opinion poll

The PCC serves as the president’s platform for consultation and key engagement with provinces and organised local government in order to raise matters of national interest, coordinate alignment of priorities, strengthen strategic priorities, and review performance.

During the gathering, he told attending ministers and mayors that he had received a letter from Velenkosini Hlabisa, Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta), regarding the proposed election date.

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He says in Hlabisa’s letter, the minister outlined the following considerations for the proposed date:

It falls on a Wednesday;
It falls outside the festive period, which we will be galloping to, and is likely to support improved voter turnout;
With all necessary prior planning, it will have minimal impact on school and higher education examination periods;
It does not coincide with peak travel or internal migration periods between provinces or municipalities;
It allows sufficient time for post-election establishment processes, including the establishment of councils and ward committees, as well as the conclusion of coalition agreements in hung councils; and
It accommodates other statutory administrative establishment processes required after the elections.

“Having received such a clear and wonderful love letter from Minister Hlabisa, I now proceed to proclaim the date of elections, which will in the end be gazetted by the minister,” Ramaphosa said to the delegates at the PCC.

“I, therefore, have the pleasure of giving Minister Hlabisa a positive answer to this request that he has made.”

The last local government elections were held in November 2021.

Read:

Ramaphosa admits ANC failings as municipal elections loom
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The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) previously announced that voter registration will take place on 20 and 21 June.

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The elections will also determine new mayors in some of the country’s key municipalities. The DA’s Helen Zille and ActionSA’s Herman Mashaba are among contenders for Joburg, one of the country’s most important metros.

Listen to IEC deputy chief electoral officer Masego Sheburi in conversation with Jeremy Maggs on the parties that could appear on the ballot paper (or read full transcript here):

You can also listen to this podcast on iono.fm here.

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