Pretoria: Cabinet says preparations for the 2026 Local Government Elections are progressing, with coordination mechanisms across all three spheres of government in place, ahead of the polls scheduled for 4 November 2026. Briefing the media on Friday, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said Cabinet was briefed on the state of readiness for the elections during its meeting on Wednesday and noted progress towards ensuring a free, fair, credible, and peaceful electoral process.
According to South African Government News Agency, Cabinet has welcomed ongoing measures to strengthen voter participation, combat misinformation, and ensure operational readiness, while encouraging all eligible South Africans to exercise their right to vote. The preparations come amid concerns over the recent killings of councillors. The Minister said Cabinet strongly condemned the killings and appreciated the swift response by law enforcement in finding the perpetrators of what it described as heinous crimes.
Cabinet called on all South Africans to uphold political tolerance, reject intimidation, violence, and any conduct that undermines the integrity of the electoral process as the country prepares for the 2026 Local Government Elections on 4 November 2026.
In addressing broader security and management challenges, Cabinet approved the Borderline Infrastructure Improvement Plan (2026-2030) as part of the government's migration management strategy. This plan aims to modernize South Africa's borderline infrastructure across all seven border provinces, enhancing border security, patrol mobility, operational response times, personnel safety, and infrastructure maintenance while deterring illegal cross-border incursions.
Cabinet was also informed of the progress made through the Municipal Performance Turnaround Strategy, which has expanded from an initial 10 to 38 municipalities. This initiative focuses on improving financial viability, governance, service delivery, audit outcomes, and institutional capacity. The Inter-Ministerial Committee supports the implementation of constitutional interventions where existing support measures have not achieved the desired outcomes.
Further, Cabinet received an update on the work of the Water Partnership Office, which aids municipalities in strengthening water service delivery through partnerships with the private sector. Under the Non-Revenue Water Programme, the office assisted the eThekwini Municipality to secure R379 million over six years to reduce water losses and is supporting eThekwini and the City of Tshwane with implementation.
The Water Partnership Office is also advancing water reuse projects, having secured US$235 million from the Green Climate Fund, and developing a sanitation bond and fund to support non-sewered sanitation technologies in informal settlements and schools. Additionally, under the Seawater Desalination Programme, a proposal was submitted to the City of Cape Town to support the Paarden Eiland desalination public-private partnership project.