By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Cabinet strongly condemned the political killings and welcomed the swift response by law enforcement in finding the perpetrators for the heinous crimes.
Political killings have surged in 2026, with 23 incidents and 26 deaths reported across five provinces.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said Cabinet was briefed on the state of readiness for the elections during its meeting on Wednesday.
“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,” Ntshavheni said.
Security plans are in place for the 2026 local government elections, scheduled for 4 November.
Ntshavheni said preparations for the elections are progressing, with coordination mechanisms across all three spheres of government in place.
“Cabinet noted that coordination mechanisms across national, provincial and local spheres of government were in place to support a free, fair, credible and peaceful electoral process,” Ntshavheni said.
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.
Municipal turnaround strategy expanded
Cabinet was also briefed on progress made through the Municipal Performance Turnaround Strategy in addressing challenges in distressed municipalities.
The intervention has been expanded from the initial 10 to 38 municipalities and focuses on improving financial viability, governance, service delivery, audit outcomes and institutional capacity.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee also supports the implementation of constitutional interventions where existing support measures have not achieved the desired outcomes.
Water partnerships
The Minister said Cabinet also received an update on the work of the Water Partnership Office, which supports municipalities to strengthen 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.
Under the Water Re-Use Programme, 34 municipalities completed climate risk assessments, while US$235 million was secured from the Green Climate Fund to advance water re-use projects.
The Water Partnership Office is also developing a sanitation bond and fund to support non-sewered sanitation technologies in informal settlements and schools.