RC 261105SAfmCathy Mohlahlana
Thursday, 5 November 2026
Election-day turnout of about 41% by 5pm dominated the 2026 local government elections, alongside long queues and ballot-security disputes in Hillcrest and the Eastern Cape.
- 07:56
Nearly 12 million South Africans had voted by 5pm on election day, about 41% of the voters' roll, with final figures still pending as the IEC counts the rest.
- 07:23
Ballot papers, the voters' roll and ink were stolen overnight from an unlocked school guardhouse in Hillcrest, KwaZulu-Natal, where an IEC official had left them before voting. Police are investigating the breach.
- 06:03
The EFF says a special-votes ballot box in Nomandamba voting district was opened without its agent and ballot papers were missing. The IEC has quarantined the material, and the party plans a criminal case.
- 07:18
Defend Our Democracy observers reported average queues of two hours, and up to four in Johannesburg, linked to an IEC surname-based queue split. Some voters found they were registered at other stations.
- 08:06
Trump has acknowledged the Iran war likely contributed to Republican midterm losses but says he would make the same decision again, while Vice President JD Vance questioned whether it was worth the cost.