While reports of irregularities shadow the election count, the millions of registered South Africans who chose to stay away present an even greater threat to democratic accountability.
Following an attack on a DA ward candidate in Kariega, Prof Theodore Petrus analyses why political violence remains deeply embedded in South African local elections three decades into democracy.
The ANC has lost Ward 19 in Qunu, Nelson Mandela’s childhood home and burial site, to the African Transformation Movement after failing to register a candidate in the local elections.
Nelson Mandela Bay United Democratic Movement councillor Luxolo Namette has been gunned down outside a Motherwell barbershop, sparking deep shock and suspicion of an internal political assassination. The 44-year-old father of four was…
A 45-year-old UDM councillor was shot and killed after leaving a barber shop in NU9, Motherwell, prompting a murder investigation by local police.
The DA has emerged as the largest party in Nelson Mandela Bay following a tight race, but with no outright majority, talks are now underway to form a governing coalition.
No party won an outright majority in Bitou, so coalition talks will decide who runs the next administration.
Voters in Nelson Mandela Bay head to the polls hoping for housing and job opportunities, while mayoral candidate Retief Odendaal reports high voter enthusiasm.
How close will the DA get to the 50% mark in Nelson Mandela Bay, or will it secure the outright majority needed to govern the metro on its own?
Casting a ballot is only the beginning of democratic participation. Nelson Mandela Bay residents must hold their local councillors accountable to ensure basic service delivery and community dignity.
At least 16 Electoral Commission of South Africa officials in the Eastern Cape have been dismissed and face criminal charges following separate incidents of ballot mishandling and missing votes.
The ANC has lost its outright majority in seven Eastern Cape municipalities, with early results showing Buffalo City Metro could also head into a coalition.
Nelson Mandela Bay residents queued before dawn on Wednesday, some on crutches, some in wheelchairs and others in cycling gear, to judge a municipality battered by blackouts, crumbling buildings, potholes and crime.
For the first time in the Eastern Cape, the ANC has lost its majority in Makana and the Sundays River Valley municipalities.
The DA has taken an early lead in Nelson Mandela Bay with over 39% of the vote as early counting progresses across the metro.
