With South Africa’s 2026 Local Government Elections less than 100 days away, Democratic Alliance (DA) mayoral candidate Helen Zille has placed Johannesburg’s deteriorating municipal services at the heart of her campaign while the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) pushes for a final wave of voter registrations.
Speaking during the Rietvlei Park Run in southern Johannesburg on Saturday, Zille said residents deserved reliable basic services and accountable local government, arguing that restoring essential infrastructure should become the city’s highest priority.
Her remarks coincided with the country’s final voter registration weekend ahead of the municipal elections scheduled for 4 November.
Zille promises honest government and better municipal services
Zille said the DA’s campaign would focus on restoring public confidence in local government through transparent administration and responsible financial management.
She argued that ratepayers should expect every rand collected by municipalities to be spent on improving everyday services rather than being lost through corruption or waste.
According to Zille, Johannesburg’s ongoing water shortages, electricity disruptions and deteriorating road network have become unacceptable for South Africa’s largest metropolitan economy.
She described intermittent water supply as one of the city’s biggest failures, while also pointing to damaged roads and unreliable electricity as issues affecting residents and businesses alike.
The DA has repeatedly campaigned on improving municipal governance, particularly in major cities where infrastructure challenges and financial pressures have intensified over recent years.
Local government performance is expected to remain one of the dominant issues throughout the election campaign as political parties compete for control of municipalities across the country.
IEC records strong voter registration turnout
While political parties intensified campaigning, the IEC reported encouraging participation during the final voter registration weekend.
Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo said more than 99% of the country’s23,699voting stations opened on time, allowing eligible citizens to register or update their voting details.
By midday, the Commission had processed more than238,000voter transactions nationwide, with approximately30,000representing new registrations and the remainder consisting mainly of address changes and registration updates.
KwaZulu-Natal recorded the highest number of transactions, followed by the Eastern Cape and Gauteng, reflecting both provincial population sizes and historical registration trends.
The Commission also noted growing public use of its free online voter registration portal, although heavy traffic occasionally resulted in slower response times.
Mamabolo encouraged voters experiencing technical delays to try again later or visit their nearest voting station before registration closes.
Following the registration weekend, the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs is expected to officially proclaim the election date, triggering the publication of the election timetable and the nomination process for candidates.
The IEC also confirmed that preparations are already underway for one of the country’s largest logistical exercises, with more than70million ballot papers expected to be printed within a three-week production period.
Election officials say the coming months will focus on finalising voter rolls, candidate lists and voting station preparations before South Africans head to the polls in November.
Source: Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) and Democratic Alliance (DA).