Opinion

As South Africans prepare to vote in the 2026 Local Government Elections, Unisa election observer Ras Advocate Sipho Mantula urges communities to remain active in holding elected leaders accountable beyond voting day. He warns that corruption, unstable coalitions, political intolerance and poor governance threaten local democracy.

Water shortages, power cuts, poor sanitation and crumbling infrastructure remain major challenges in many South African municipalities. Independent researcher Professor Kealeboga Maphunye warns that poor leadership, corruption and a lack of accountability continue to undermine local government.

As South Africans prepare to vote in the 4 November 2026 Local Government Elections, Professor Boitumelo Senokoane argues that voters must look beyond political promises and hold parties accountable for poor governance, corruption and failing service delivery. He also examines the growing challenges of coalition politics.

Furthermore, economically, voting requires that, you must take time to think about the expected utility of the outcome of voting.

Liberty Fighters Network and the Strydom family have appeared before the Gqeberha High Court in their ongoing dispute with Standard Bank. With judgment reserved, LFN says the hearing provided a fair opportunity to present its arguments and raised important questions about banking conduct and constitutional rights.

Liberty Fighters Network has given the Minister of Home Affairs 30 days to address concerns about population-register access and alleged gaps in privacy safeguards under South Africa’s identification laws. LFN warns that the proposed Digital ID rollout raises further questions about data protection and constitutional rights.