The Electoral Commission (IEC) has begun preparations for the 2026 Local Government Elections (LGE), starting consultations with the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.
At a recent media briefing, Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo reminded that the law provides for a five-year municipal council term, with elections to be held within 90 days of its expiry. The current municipal councils were elected on 1 November 2021.
“This means the current term will end on 2 November 2026. Therefore, the general elections of municipal councils must take place between 2 November 2026 and the end of January 2027,” said Mamabolo.
The IEC will work closely with the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to set the official date.
Ward boundaries under review
Mamabolo said the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) plays a critical role in shaping South Africa’s political geography through municipal and ward boundaries.
Wards are political boundaries within which a single councillor is elected under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system, where the candidate with the most votes wins—even without an outright majority.
“The MDB has indicated that it is about to conclude the process of ward delimitation. Crucially, it will hand over final ward boundaries to the Commission at the end of October 2025. There will, however, be a residual of 18 municipalities that will be handed over later, as these were subject to requests for reviews of external municipal boundaries,” said Mamabolo.
Once the ward boundaries are finalised, the IEC will analyse its network of voting districts to ensure they are geographically aligned ahead of voter registration for LGE 2026–2027.
2024 elections report
Meanwhile, the IEC has tabled its report on the 2024 National and Provincial Elections in Parliament. Presenting to the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs in July, the Commission said the elections met international standards of freeness and fairness, as well as constitutional and legal requirements.
The IEC noted that the previous elections had 27.78 million registered voters—the highest since the introduction of the voters’ roll in 1999. It also faced increased litigation, with 88 cases challenging aspects of the process.
“The Electoral Commission prevailed in all except one, which relates to establishing special voting stations outside the Republic’s official foreign missions. An appeal is pending in the Supreme Court of Appeal,” it said.
The Portfolio Committee welcomed the report, acknowledged areas for improvement and commended the IEC for delivering free, fair and credible elections. SAnews.gov.za
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