RC 261104702Africa Melane
Wednesday, 4 November 2026
Election-day coverage of South Africa's local government polls, with a record 546 parties contesting, alongside early US midterm gains for the Democrats.
- 05:02
More than 29.2 million South Africans are registered to vote in today's local government elections, and a record 546 political parties are contesting them to govern municipalities over the next five years.
- 04:03
Police say 21 criminal cases, including murder and theft, were reported during two days of special voting, with six arrests. In Durban, people in party regalia stormed a storage facility and held election officials hostage.
- 04:00
Residents in Bronkhorstspruit must keep avoiding tap water. The supply is not yet declared safe after an October gastrointestinal outbreak with more than 800 cases, pending further cleaning and laboratory testing.
- 05:05
Democrats flipped their first US Senate seat in early midterm results. Roy Cooper defeated Trump's hand-picked candidate in North Carolina, while Jon Ossoff won re-election in Georgia.