WITH the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) eyeing a November 2026 date for the Local Government Elections (LGE), eligible voters are being called upon to register to vote in what could be one of the highly contested ballots, one which could change the face of politics in KZN.

On Tuesday, IEC deputy electoral officer Masego Sheburi confirmed the Commission’s readiness to hold the elections on the first Wednesday of November 2026, pending discussions and approval from the ministers of Home Affairs and Cogta. Sheburi urged those eligible to vote to step up. He said the commission was already encouraged by a surge in the number of people registering to perform their civic duty of voting.

“From January to September 2025, over 305 206 new voters registered, while 60 752 voters updated their registration details,” said Sheburi. The highest number of new registrations occurred in September with 71 324, followed by August, 51 714, and February, 39 967. Around 12% used the online registration portal, and 10% visited their local IEC office.

“Despite this registration activity, a lot more citizens must still register, and we encourage all eligible voters to use the convenience of the self-registration platform to register to vote or update their voter details. Voters are urged to register where they live and vote at the voting station where they are registered,” said Sheburi.

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According to the IEC, a total of 62 new political parties have entered the fray since the 2024 National and Provincial Elections, with 14 of those registering between August and October. “The total number of registered political parties is 508. Of these, 295 are registered at a national level, while the balance of 404 are either registered provincially or at the district or metro municipal level,” said Sheburi.

Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed Mosotho Moepya as the chairperson of the Commission ahead of the elections. Under the terms of Section 6 of the Electoral Commission Act and on the recommendation of the National Assembly, he appointed Joyce Pitso, who will serve as a full-time member of the Commission, and Judge Dhaya Pillay who will serve as a part-time member.

They will serve for a period of seven years. “The President wishes the commissioners well in safeguarding the integrity of diverse elections in the country,” said Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya.

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