IEC prepares for 2026 local elections with 508 registered parties
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) deputy chief electoral officer, Masego Sheburi, says the Commission has registered 62 new political parties since the 2024 national and provincial elections, bringing the total number of registered parties to 508, with 295 eligible to contest nationally.
Sheburi was briefing the media on Tuesday on preparations and key developments for the 2026 local government elections, which are expected to take place between November 2026 and January 2027.
Sheburi highlighted that the IEC has put forward proposed amendments to the Electoral Act ahead of the elections.
“The primary focus is on section 15, which currently allows objections to the voters’ roll at any stage. The amendments aim to clarify that objections will only be competent against the provisionally compiled voters’ roll, and to equip the Commission with remedies, such as removing disputed addresses to ensure voters provide correct details before voting,” he said.
The amendments also provide for the automatic deregistration of political parties that are not represented in municipal councils, provincial legislatures, or the National Assembly and have not confirmed their continued existence.
“Only registered political parties on the date an election is called may nominate candidates,” Sheburi added.
The draft bill is expected to be presented to the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs on November 18, 2025, he said.
On ward delimitations, Sheburi confirmed that the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) will hand over new ward boundaries to the IEC early in December 2025, enabling the Commission to align voting districts for the elections.
He also provided an update on by-elections, noting that 57 ward by-elections have been administered since April 2025, with the most vacancies recorded in the Eastern Cape and Gauteng, followed by the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.
He explained that by-elections will cease from April 30, 2026, in line with Section 256 of the Local Government Municipal Structures Act, meaning no new by-elections can be held in the lead-up to the general municipal elections.
However, replacements of proportional representation councillors will continue until the day before the elections, with 183 PR councillors replaced between April and October 2025.
Sheburi also highlighted ongoing voter education and civic engagement efforts, reporting that in the second quarter of 2025 alone, over 2.6 million South Africans were reached through more than 18,000 community events across the nine provinces.
The focus has been on preparing first-time voters and promoting responsible participation among young citizens, he said.
The largest outreach occurred in KwaZulu-Natal with 4,222 events reaching more than 317,000 people, followed by the Eastern Cape and Gauteng, among others.
Regarding political party registration, Sheburi noted that the process is continuous and that 14 new parties were registered between August and October 2025. The IEC has also begun hosting information sessions for political parties and independent candidates to guide them on registration requirements and electoral procedures, with sessions scheduled across major centres in each province from November 2 to 28.
Sheburi provided the schedule for the upcoming elections: Eastern Cape on November 18 in East London; Free State on November 19 in Bloemfontein; Northern Cape on November 20 in Kimberley; KwaZulu-Natal on November 25 in Durban; Mpumalanga on November 27 in Mbombela; Limpopo on November 28 in Polokwane; North West on November 2 in Rustenburg or Mafikeng; Western Cape on November 4 in Cape Town; and Gauteng on November 17 in Johannesburg.
Sheburi welcomed the announcement by President Ramaphosa of the appointment of three new IEC Commissioners. Joyce Pitso has been appointed for a first seven-year term, Judge Dhaye Pillay for a second part-time seven-year term, and Mosotho Moepya for a second full-term appointment, with Moepya designated as Chairperson of the Commission.
Sheburi also urged all eligible voters to ensure they are registered and ready to participate.
“Now is the time to register and to ensure that you vote to continue to shape affairs in your community and also have a say in the selection of the men and women who will administer public affairs on our behalf,” he said.
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