Pretoria: The Electoral Commission (IEC) is gearing up for the 2026 Local Government Elections (LGE) with the Commission having begun consultations with the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs. At a media briefing on Tuesday, IEC Chief Electoral Officer, Sy Mamabolo, explained that the law mandates municipal council terms to last five years, with elections required to occur within 90 days following the term’s conclusion. The current municipal councils were elected on 1 November 2021, indicating their term will end on 2 November 2026. Consequently, elections for municipal councils are expected between 2 November 2026 and the end of January 2027. The Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, after consultation with the Commission, holds the authority to set the election date.
According to South African Government News Agency, consultations between the Minister and the Commission have commenced but remain ongoing. Mamabolo emphasized the role of the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) in determining municipal and ward boundaries. He noted that municipal wards operate under a first-past-the-post principle, wherein a single councillor is elected. The MDB is nearing the conclusion of the ward delimitation process and will provide final ward boundaries to the Commission by the end of October 2025. However, eighteen municipalities, subject to external boundary review requests, will receive their boundaries at a later date. Mamabolo mentioned planned engagements with the MDB to settle on the precise date for receiving wards for these municipalities.
Once the MDB delivers the final ward boundaries, the Commission will review its voting districts to ensure geographical alignment, paving the way for voter registration ahead of LGE 2026-2027. Meanwhile, the Commission reported that the 2024 National and Provincial Elections met international standards for fairness and adhered to constitutional and legal requirements.
The Commission had presented the 2024 elections report to the National Assembly in early July. The report highlighted that the May 2024 elections saw 27.78 million registered voters, the highest number since the voters’ roll’s inception in 1999. The elections also faced increased litigation, with 88 cases challenging various electoral process aspects. The Commission successfully defended all but one case, which concerns the establishment of special voting stations outside official foreign missions. An appeal is currently pending in the Supreme Court of Appeal regarding this matter.
The Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs, after the July session, welcomed the report, recognized areas for improvement, and commended the Commission for conducting free, fair, and credible elections.