Updated at 13:19

Municipal officials in the Eastern Cape are calling on residents to go out in their numbers and vote.

Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality Executive Mayor Princess Faku has cast her vote at the Alastair Carnegie Hall voting district in Ward 29, joining residents participating in the 2026 Local Government Elections.

OR Tambo District Municipality Executive Mayor Mesuli Ngqondwana called on communities to vote as he cast his ballot.

Community cooperation

He said he was grateful for the cooperation from the community and the peace surrounding the election process.

Ngqondwana encouraged those who have not voted to use the remaining time to go to their polling stations before they close at 21:00.

In a post on Facebook, the OR Tambo District Municipality said Public Order Policing remained on alert.

“What is particularly encouraging is the discipline and order demonstrated by voters. Security is vigilant, voters are orderly, and democracy is in motion,” the post said.

Published at 10:38

As voting begins in the Eastern Cape, Premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane has called for peace, mutual respect and cooperation among all political parties.

“Upholding free, fair and credible elections is a shared community responsibility,” he said in a Facebook post.

Police officers have also been deployed in the area to maintain a safe and secure environment.

Community safety

Eastern Cape provincial commissioner Lieutenant General Vuyisile Ncata emphasised the SAPS mandate of impartiality, professionalism, and community safety.

He instructed members to execute their duties with discipline, to act decisively against any unlawful conduct, and to ensure that every voter in the Eastern Cape can exercise their constitutional right to vote in a safe and secure environment.

The provincial commissioner reiterated that the SAPS is not a player in these elections but the guarantor of the conditions under which democracy can take place.

He further emphasised that no political affiliation places anyone above the law.

Aerial surveillance over hotspot districts

Ncata will also conduct aerial surveillance across the OR Tambo, Alfred Nzo, and Joe Gqabi districts as part of the province’s election-day operational plan.

He said police officers remains fully deployed and operationally ready to protect the integrity of the ballot and the peace of the province.

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