Special Voting Begins as South Africans Prepare for Local Elections Amid Violence and Audit Scrutiny

On Monday, South Africa opened a special voting period ahead of its local government elections, approving 2.65 million applications and operating 94 % of polling stations nationwide. The move, intended for voters unable to travel to polling places on Wednesday, arrived amid a backdrop of rising political violence and questions over municipal financial stewardship.

Deputy Chief Electoral Officer Masego Sheburi reported that while the start of the special voting had been largely smooth, delays surfaced in parts of Cape Town where 10 of 116 wards remained unopened by 10:30 a.m. due to late delivery of ballot boxes. The setback was traced to a Constitutional Court order that required the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) to reprint 33 million ballots after reinstating previously excluded African National Congress councilor candidates. "We got off to a slow start in some parts of Cape Town," Sheburi said, noting the IEC was working to resolve the delays and ensure all approved voters could participate.

Following the announcement, IEC officials reported two incidents involving election staff: an official sustained injuries in a road accident in KwaZulu‑Natal, while another collapsed and died in the North West Province earlier that day. Authorities also explained that home visits would be made to approximately 678,000 voters who had applied for special voting on the basis of physical infirmity or advanced age, with the IEC urging those voters to remain at the addresses listed in their applications.

Security and violence

Security officials highlighted the political violence that has accompanied the election, with chairperson of the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure Tebello Mosikili reporting that 20 people had been killed in election‑related incidents involving political representatives and supporters, and seven arrests had been made. "We remain particularly concerned about incidents involving the loss of life during the election period," Mosikili said, calling for elections to be conducted in a peaceful and secure environment.

Independent monitoring organisations such as the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI‑TOC) documented at least 43 deaths in 45 political attacks between January and September, compared with 23 killings over the same period last year. Data shows that a ward councillor earns over 25,000 rand (about US 1,500) per month before allowances, a substantial income in a country where the unemployment rate hovers around 33 % and the national minimum wage is nearly 6,000 rand.

Julian Rademeyer, author of a GI‑TOC October report on political killings, said the local competition had become increasingly intertwined with economic and other interests, signalling that municipal positions offer more than just political influence.

Municipal audit performance under scrutiny

Audit figures released earlier this year added a financial dimension to the electoral debate. Auditor‑General Tsakani Maluleke reported that 39 of South Africa’s 257 municipalities received clean audits for the 2024‑25 financial year, while none of the country’s eight metropolitan municipalities achieved the same. The audit outcomes are sharpening public scrutiny over how local governments manage public funds and the financial transparency of elected officials.

In a campaign speech in KwaZulu‑Natal, President Cyril Ramaphosa demanded that those responsible for political killings face justice, stressing that violence had no place in a democratic society.

As the local elections proceed, the convergence of special voting logistics, security concerns and municipal audit scrutiny underscores the complex environment in which South African voters will ultimately decide who will steer their local communities.