Hlabisa urges peaceful polls as nominations top 142,000

More than 142,000 candidate nominations have been submitted for South Africa’s local government elections, as Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa urged voters to participate peacefully in Wednesday’s poll.

Speaking as chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Local Government Elections, Hlabisa called on South Africans to help safeguard a free, fair and incident-free election on 4 November.

According to the committee, the Electoral Commission (IEC) received 142,072 nominations for 10,526 council seats by the 28 August deadline. These covered ward, proportional representation and independent candidates, exceeding participation in the 2021 municipal elections.

The voters’ roll has surpassed 29 million, following almost 4.7 million voter interactions during registration weekends in June and August. More than 750,000 new voters were registered, with people under 29 accounting for 46% of new registrations during the final weekend.

Hlabisa urged communities to use their votes to influence municipal leadership and demand accountability.

“Voting gives communities the opportunity to influence municipal leadership, shape local priorities and hold elected representatives accountable for service delivery.”

The committee cautioned against allowing frustration or apathy to discourage participation.

“Your vote matters. Your voice matters. Your participation matters. Let us stand together to protect and defend our hard-won democracy, strengthen local government and build communities that respond to the needs and aspirations of our people,” Hlabisa said.

The IEC has declared its results system fit for purpose following independent testing and auditing, with all identified findings addressed, according to the committee.

Its National Results Operations Centre at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand will coordinate the capture and release of results from 23,696 voting stations. Political parties, independent candidates and the media will be able to scrutinise the process.

The committee stressed that the IEC remained solely responsible for independently administering the elections. Government’s role was to support coordination, logistics and a safe voting environment.

Security preparations include monitoring cyber threats, electoral fraud, misinformation, disinformation and possible interference with electoral systems. A priority committee within the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure is coordinating risk monitoring and responses.

Parties and supporters have been urged to reject intimidation and violence, while the public has been asked to verify election information before sharing it.

The South African Weather Service’s current outlook does not indicate significant adverse weather on election day, although monitoring continues. Voters should follow official advisories and take precautions against heat exposure.

Home Affairs offices will open from 8am to 6pm on 2 and 3 November, and from 7am to 9pm on election day, to assist with identity documents and temporary identity certificates where applicable.

Citizens with outstanding ID collections have been urged to collect their documents in time to vote. Special voting takes place on 2 and 3 November for approved applicants.

Sources: CoGTA/Inter-Ministerial Committee on Local Government Elections statement, supplied.