By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) chairperson Mosotho Moepya welcomed the announcement of the proclamation of 4 November 2026 as the date for the Local Government Elections.
The Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa officially proclaimed the date for the Local Government Elections.
Hlabisa made the announcement in Durban on Friday, 07 August 2026.
“In terms of section 24(2) of the Local Government: Municipal Structures Act, 1998 (Act No. 117 of 1998), I, Velenkosini Hlabisa, Minister for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, hereby call an election of all municipal councils and set 04 November 2026 as the date for such an election,” the Minister said.
In terms of Section 159 of the Constitution, read together with the Municipal Structures Act, the Minister of CoGTA is responsible for proclaiming the date of local government elections, which must be held within 90 days after the expiry of a five-year municipal term.
The proclamation formally sets the date for voters to elect municipal councils across the country, marking the start of the final stages of preparations for the polls.
Moepya said the proclamation provides much-needed certainty by formally setting the election date and marks the start of the country’s 89-day election timetable.
Addressing the media in Pretoria on Friday, Moepya said the Commission is publishing the 2026 Local Government Elections timetable in the Government Gazette, as required by the Local Government: Municipal Electoral Act, 2000, and its regulations.
Moepya explained that the Election Timetable serves as the guiding framework for various preparations, ranging from the finalisation and certification of the voters’ roll for these elections to candidate nominations, objections, voting arrangements, special votes and the declaration of results.
It ensures that every phase of the process is conducted in accordance with the Constitution and applicable electoral legislation, promoting accountability and fairness throughout the election period.
All activities prescribed in the timetable must be completed by 5 pm on the respective cut-off dates.
The proclamation has also activated the Electoral Code of Conduct, which sets standards for fairness in the electoral process.
“A significant outcome of the proclamation is the closure of the voters’ roll at midnight tonight. After this time, no new voter registrations or changes to registration details will be accepted for the 2026 Local Government Elections.
In local government elections, voters must vote at the voting station where they are registered, meaning those who have changed addresses should update their details before the deadline.
Voters can check their registration status by SMSing “myID” followed by their ID number to 32810.The IEC’s contact centre, 0800 11 8000, is also available to assist with registration queries.
Moepya said the Commission has reported significant improvements in voter registration access due to investments in digital technology.
“With 1,794,051 registration transactions recorded during the second registration weekend, an additional 210,734 transactions have been recorded since, bringing the total to two million.
“The introduction of the data-free online voter registration portal has facilitated access, while the WhatsApp channel has broadened outreach, with more than 14,000 registrations recorded since its launch,” he said.
The Commissioner added that, in the interest of transparency, the Commission will publish the list of voting stations on 14 August 2026, which will include mobile voting stations and their routes across the country.
Moepya said candidate nominations officially opened today and will close at 5 pm on 28 August 2026. Registered political parties and independent candidates have 21 calendar days to submit their candidate lists.
“Two nomination channels are available: the Online Candidate Nomination System (OCNS) and manual submission at the Commission office.
“The Commission has facilitated the process by opening the OCNS early, allowing candidates to input their details in advance. As part of the nomination process, monetary deposits are required, which are refundable under certain conditions,” he said.