First Take SA

The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) will announce the final results of the 2021 local government elections later this evening. The electoral process had its own challenges with at least over 80 objections lodged with the IEC by the end of business yesterday. But the electoral body says all the objections will be dealt with after the announcement of the results. For the latest election resul...

Political analyst, Susan Booysen highlights what it means to form coalitions in this day and age....

CSIR's Professor Pravesh Debba gives us an update on predictions for the 2021 Local Government Elections....

Clearer pictures are emerging around the country as results come in. Some provinces are still too early to call. However, Observer Paledi Magopa from the Centre for Civic & Democracy Education says councillors are neglecting their civic duties...

The Electoral Commission says issues around shortages of ballot papers were resolved. Voting in the 2021 Local Government Elections ended last night across the country with eight million people having cast their vote by five o'clock yesterday afternoon. To unpack available results thus far is Professor Pravesh Debba from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSRI)....

The Independent Electoral Commission says its all systems go for this weekend's special votes. Approximately 26 million South Africans are eligible to vote in the polls, with over 95 thousand candidates running to capture about 10-thousand-500 seats in the country's 257 municipalities. The IEC maintains that all measures are in place to protect the integrity of the results as the commission launch...

With days to go to the November 1st local government elections, some political parties are complaining about the destruction of their posters. They say that several displayed on lamp posts have been damaged, while others have been defaced on social media. This election campaign has seen many political parties  capitalize on their campaign messaging and branding while some have missed the mark...

Public Enterprises Minister, Pravin Gordhan, says Eskom is likely to downgrade loadshedding to Stage Three tonight - and move to Stage Two for the rest of the week. This follows the power utility's announcement of the implementation of Stage Four loadshedding, which started at midday today. Eskom says this was due to a shortage of generation capacity and units tripping at several power stations. N...

The Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster Ministers have assured South Africans that citizens will be able to access all areas of the country during the local government elections next week. The Ministers briefing the media on the safety and security situation ahead of the polls, say focus is on four provinces, including Kwa Zulu-Natal and Gauteng with regards to political violence. Aroun...

With just six days left before the Local Government Elections, access to information on political parties, their nominated candidates and the voting process has come to the fore. To help South Africans and in line with its public mandate, the SABC recently launched a dedicated website to bring you up to the minute election coverage and everything you need to know before you cast your vote on Novem...

The African Content Movement leader, Hlaudi Motsoeng has vowed to deliver 'miracles' within the first six months of being voted into municipal councils post the November 1st Local Government Elections. Motsoeneng launched his party's election manifesto in his home town of Qwa-Qwa in the Free State, labeling himself as a man of action. The former SABC COO, is known amongst many other controversies...

As the country heads to the Local Government Elections on November 1, a number of communities say they continue to be overlooked and marginalised. The Unemployed People's Movement and the Gatvol Movement are two such organisations. The movements have accused government of failing to improve the lives of ordinary South Africans in the 27 years since the birth of democracy. Millions of young people...

The November 1st Local Government Elections are just 11 days away and parties on the campaign trail will seek to intensify their messaging in the coming days. Communities across the country have for the past two months witnessed various political parties making promises and commitments on service delivery issues such as the provision of water and electricity, housing, jobs and the rooting out of c...

Despite constituting the majority of South Africa's population and comprising the largest number of voters, women participation as candidates in elections is still skewed in favour of men. In the 2016 municipal elections, women accounted for 58% of voters, and yet just under 40% of the elected candidates were women. Laws such as the Municipal Structures Act require that party lists for local gover...

In the midst of escalating new wave pro-democracy protests; King Mswati has ordered the immediate and indefinite closure of all schools in eSwatini. Pupils and students in the kingdom have been protesting for a number of weeks, boycotting lessons and calling for free schooling, as well as an end to the rule under King Mswati III. ESwatini's  Prime Minister Cleopas Dlamini announced the king's...

Political analyst, Dr Ntsikelelo Breakfast, believes the November 1st Local Government Elections will most likely produce more coalition governments. This morning we examine the future of municipal coalition governments in light of dismal developments in Nelson Mandela Bay , Tshwane and Johannesburg Metros where shacky coalitions were cobbled up after the 2016 election.  Dr Breakfast maintain...

The Minority Front has encouraged registered voters to vote with their heads during the upcoming Local Government Elections on November the 1st. The party, formed back in 1993 has been in existence for 28 years now although its base remains within the Indian community, in areas such as Chatsworth and Phoenix in KwaZulu-Natal. Party leader Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi, wife of the former leader, Amichan...

Al Jama-ah is the latest political party to reject the call for an independent Western Cape. Addressing party members in supporters on the party's election manifesto ahead of the local government elections in Kliptown, Soweto last Friday, party President, Ganief Hendricks lambasted the suggestion. Founded in 2007, the party has grown to have a representation in Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal and the Weste...

The Patriotic Alliance says first on its priority list when it takes over municipalities will be to deal with the issue of illegal immigrants. It says all illegal foreign nationals will be taken out of South Africa following the November 1st elections. Its leader Gayton McKenzie says only those with scarce skills will be let into the country. The PA launched its local government election manifesto...

The 2021 local government elections have seen an increase in the number of independent candidates compared to 2016. A total of 1 549 independents have registered and will be contesting in wards across the country come November the 1st.  However, some voters are skeptical about voting for an independent candidate. On the show this morning, we are in conversation with One SA Movement leader, Mm...

The Congress of the People - COPE - wants all its Councillors to be trained so that they understand and implement the Public Finance Management Act. This was one of the promises made by party president, Mosiuoa Lekota during the party's manifesto launch in Johannesburg last month. The party, which is a splinter group from the ruling African National Congress, only won 0.67% of the popular mandate...

Good party leader, Patricia De Lille has pleaded with registered voters for the upcoming Local Government Elections to lend her party their votes in order to better fight corruption, deliver GOOD services and unseat the ruling ANC. The Good Party launched its election manifesto 3 weeks ago, ahead of the November 1st elections, promising pro-poor plans that are aimed at tackling transport and housi...

The ACDP launched its manifesto for the November 1st local government elections in Johannesburg on Saturday. Party leader Rev Kenneth Meshoe says the foundation of the party is based on biblical and family values. Meshoe put emphasis on fighting crime and corruption, empowering small business and the issue of mandatory vaccination. We speak to Deputy President of the African Christian Democratic P...

United Democratic Movement (UDM) leader, General Bantu Holomisa has promised voters that the party will not politicise service delivery. Holomisa was speaking on Saturday during the manifesto launch of the party at Mthatha in the Eastern Cape. 

The Western Cape Transport Department has warned that it will not hesitate to close down more taxi routes and ranks that risk the lives of commuters through violence. This follows YESTERDAY'S killing of three people at the Joe Slovo Taxi rank in Cape Town while a fourth person was admitted to a local hospital. Police have since opened a triple murder investigation and that of attempted murder. Ear...