13:48

DA candidate helps Deben residents get to polling stations

DA Ward 7 candidate Dean Espach was out in Deben, in the Gamagara Local Municipality, helping residents make their way to polling stations on Wednesday.

The party shared pictures of Espach assisting voters and encouraged residents to participate in the elections.

In a social media post, the DA urged voters to use their ballots to bring about change, while criticising the municipality’s service delivery record.

The party called on residents to vote DA, saying the municipality could not afford another five years of service delivery challenges.

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13:33

A steady but quiet pattern of voting continued at polling stations across Kimberley, with few voters gathering outside some stations.

Eureka Primary School followed the same trend, with residents arriving one by one to cast their ballots in the 2026 Local Government Elections.

The scene reflected a subdued turnout at the station, although activity could change as more residents make their way to the polls throughout the day.

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The Northern Cape’s 713 869 registered voters are heading to the polls today (November 4), as police maintain a province-wide security operation and very hot conditions are forecast over parts of the country’s largest but least populated province.

The province has the smallest registered electorate in South Africa, accounting for 2.44% of the country’s 29.2 million registered voters. Voters will elect the political leadership responsible for their municipalities over the next five years.

With 54 political parties, 4 347 candidates and 13 independent candidates contesting the local government elections, voters face a wide choice across the province, according to the Diamond Fields Advertiser.

Nearly 60% of special voters cast their ballots

The election follows two days of special voting on November 2 and 3, during which the Electoral Commission of South Africa facilitated early voting for people unable to reach their voting stations on election day.

According to the DFA, approximately 129 000 special voters were approved in the province. IEC provincial electoral officer Elkin Topkin confirmed that about 76 000 had cast their ballots by 17:30 on Tuesday, representing almost 60% of approved special voters.

Topkin said special voting had proceeded smoothly, with all voting stations opening on time and no major incidents reported.

He added that changes to municipal ward boundaries had affected some voters who had not registered in the correct ward. These voters received only two ballot papers and could not vote for their ward councillor. The issue was not unique to the Northern Cape and had affected voters elsewhere in the country.

Police activate security operation across five districts

With voting under way, the Northern Cape Provincial Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure (PROVJOINTS) has activated comprehensive security arrangements across all five districts to protect voters, election officials and voting infrastructure.

Provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola said extensive planning, intelligence gathering, security assessments and engagements with stakeholders had taken place ahead of election day.

According to the South African Government News Agency, the integrated security operation includes increased police visibility, targeted crime prevention operations, coordinated deployments, rapid-response capabilities and continuous monitoring of identified hotspots.

Police and their security partners are also responsible for protecting voting stations, IEC officials and election personnel, safeguarding election infrastructure and securing the transportation and storage of election materials.

The operation involves the SAPS, IEC, South African National Defence Force, traffic authorities, municipal law enforcement agencies, the National Prosecuting Authority and provincial and local government structures.

Otola warned that authorities would not tolerate violence, intimidation, threats, incitement, malicious damage to property or attempts to disrupt lawful political activities.

“Law enforcement agencies will act firmly, impartially and within the law. Reported incidents will be investigated, with arrests where warranted. No individual or group is above the law, regardless of political affiliation,” she said.

Political parties, independent candidates, supporters and community leaders have been urged to respect differing political views and allow residents to exercise their democratic rights without intimidation.

Residents have also been asked to report suspicious activities, threats and election-related crimes to their nearest police station. PROVJOINTS warned against spreading unverified information and provocative social media messages that could create panic or fuel tensions.

The security preparations follow concerns raised by striking security guards contracted to Eskom, who reportedly warned that essential infrastructure could be left vulnerable amid a dispute over unpaid salaries. According to the DFA, Otola said there was no identified threat at the time and confirmed that provincial and national teams, together with the SANDF, had been deployed to voting stations.

Very hot conditions and fire danger warnings

The weather could present another challenge for voters, particularly those who have to wait in long queues.

According to the South African Weather Service forecast reported by The Citizen, the Northern Cape was expected to experience fine and warm to hot conditions on Wednesday, with very hot temperatures in places over the interior.

Extremely high fire danger conditions were also expected over parts of the southern Northern Cape, while very hot to extremely hot conditions were forecast over the interior of the Namakwa district.

Voters are encouraged to carry drinking water, wear sunscreen and seek shade where possible while waiting to cast their ballots.

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Northern Cape police commissioner visits Kimberley voting stations

The Northern Cape police commissioner, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola, visited several voting stations in the greater Kimberley area on Wednesday to assess police visibility, operational readiness and security arrangements during the Local Government Elections.

The visits formed part of efforts to monitor police deployments and ensure a safe and peaceful electoral process.

Otola also assessed the performance of police officers deployed on the ground as voting continued.

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11:30

Zamani Saul casts his vote in Vanderkloof

ANC Northern Cape provincial chairperson Zamani Saul cast his vote at a polling station in Vanderkloof today, urging voters to complete all three ballot papers.

Saul voted at the NG Kerk Saal in Vanderkloof, within the Renosterberg Local Municipality, as South Africans headed to the polls in the 2026 Local Government Elections.

In a message shared on the ANC’s social media platforms, Saul reminded voters that they would receive three ballot papers and urged them to vote for the ANC on each one.

The three ballots are used to elect representatives at different levels of local government.

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