Cabinet says preparations for the 2026 Local Government Elections are progressing, with coordination mechanisms across all three spheres of government in place, ahead of the polls scheduled for 4 November 2026.
Briefing the media on Friday, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said Cabinet was briefed on the state of readiness for the elections during its meeting on Wednesday and noted progress towards ensuring a free, fair, credible and peaceful electoral process.
“Cabinet noted that coordination mechanisms across national, provincial and local spheres of government were in place to support a free, fair, credible and peaceful electoral process,” Ntshavheni said.
Cabinet has welcomed ongoing measures to strengthen voter participation, combat misinformation and ensure operational readiness, while encouraging all eligible South Africans to exercise their right to vote.
The preparations come amid concerns over the recent killings of councillors.
The Minister said Cabinet strongly condemned the killings and appreciated the swift response by law enforcement in finding the perpetrators of what it described as heinous crimes.
“Cabinet called on all South Africans to uphold political tolerance, reject intimidation, violence and any conduct that undermines the integrity of the electoral process as the country prepares for the 2026 Local Government Elections on 4 November 2026,” Ntshavheni said.
Strengthening border infrastructure
As part of government’s broader migration management strategy, Cabinet approved the Borderline Infrastructure Improvement Plan (2026–2030).
The plan seeks to strengthen and modernise South Africa’s borderline infrastructure across all seven border provinces.
It will focus on improving border security, patrol mobility, operational response times, personnel safety, infrastructure maintenance and intergovernmental coordination, while deterring illegal cross-border incursions.
Municipal turnaround strategy expanded
Cabinet was also briefed on progress made through the Municipal Performance Turnaround Strategy in addressing challenges in distressed municipalities.
The intervention has been expanded from the initial 10 to 38 municipalities and focuses on improving financial viability, governance, service delivery, audit outcomes and institutional capacity.
The Inter-Ministerial Committee also supports the implementation of constitutional interventions where existing support measures have not achieved the desired outcomes.
Water partnerships
The Minister said Cabinet also received an update on the work of the Water Partnership Office, which supports municipalities to strengthen water service delivery through partnerships with the private sector.
Under the Non-Revenue Water Programme, the office assisted the eThekwini Municipality to secure R379 million over six years to reduce water losses and is supporting eThekwini and the City of Tshwane with implementation.
Under the Water Re-Use Programme, 34 municipalities completed climate risk assessments, while US$235 million was secured from the Green Climate Fund to advance water re-use projects.
The Water Partnership Office is also developing a sanitation bond and fund to support non-sewered sanitation technologies in informal settlements and schools.
Under the Seawater Desalination Programme, a proposal was submitted to the City of Cape Town to support the Paarden Eiland desalination public-private partnership project. – SAnews.gov.za
