Police catch two ballot snatchers as South Africans vote for local govment elections

South Africans stand on queue early mor-mor on Wednesday to vote in di kontri local govment elections, as many vow to vote for new political leaders for a fresh start.

South Africa Electoral Commission (IEC) inside dia report tok say di 2026 local govment elections dey go smoothly, and 98% of di 23,696 voting stations for di kontri open by 7:00am on Wednesday.

Although some voting station open around 9:00am becos of di heavy rain and local protests wey dey go on for Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.

IEC Deputy Chief Electoral Officer, Masego Sheburi, during press briefing tok say voting dey go smoothly across di kontri, and millions of registered voters don already cast dia votes.

Sheburi dey encourage oda South Africans wey neva vote make dem go cast dia ballot and vote becos na dia democratic right.

"Di Commission dey urge all di remaining registered voters make dem use di remaining hours of voting to cast dia ballot and exercise dia democratic right to participate for di 2026 Local Government Elections," Sheburi tok

Sheburi tok say IEC don introduce extra measures to improve di efficiency of di election officiers, wey include handheld barcode scanners wey dey attach to Voter Management Devices (VMDs) and sequence numbers on di voters' roll to make voter verification faster and reduce di time wey pipo dey spend for voting stations.

"Di Voter Management Devices dey function optimally, e dey support di smooth processing and verification of voters for voting stations," Sheburi tok.

Police arrest two suspects wey wan carry ballot papers run

South African Police Service don arrest two women wey claim to be IEC officials as dem dey try carry voting material run for Eastern Cape.

Eastern Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Vuyisile Ncata tok say di two suspects arrive for voting station to collect voting material, as dem claim say na di presiding officer send dem come.

But di presiding officer, already dey for queue and e neva send anybody to collect di material.

"Dem identify di suspects bifor dem comot for di station and dem seize di voting material," SAPS tok..

According to di police, dem don dey process dia case under di Municipal Electoral Act 27/2000, Section 68(d) wey prohibit di impersonation of IEC official.

"We no go tolerate any interference wit di electoral process. Di arrest of di two suspects show our commitment to uphold di integrity of elections. Anybody one wey wan impersonate IEC official go face di full might of di law," Ncata tok.

However, IEC inside dia press statement on Wednesday tok say dem receive report say dem wan theif some unused ballot papers and one stamp for one voting station for Ward 2 for eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal.

"Dem get 20 voting stations for dat ward. We don put measures to make sure say if those ballots surface for any of dis voting stations, we go fit identify dem, becos e dey requirement say ballot must dey validated wit stamp for di back.

"We don open case wit di South African Police Service (SAPS), and we don comot our staff from dat voting station," Sheburi tok.

"If I no vote, tins go stay di same" South African voter

Afta Zandile Nyuswa (58), cast her vote for Hazelmeer near Verulam, north of Durban, she tok say di decision to vote na becos say hope dey say tins go eventually change despite say some neva deliver dia campaign promises.

"To dey honest, I no dey sure why I vote becos we no get water and light, and potholes dey spoil our cars for road. However, we no get option, becos if I no vote, tins go stay di same," Nyuswa tok.

Fifty-year-old Hlengiwe Ndimande tok say she make di decision to come out come vote dis morning.

She tok say she don already decide say she no go vote becos she dey disappoint in di lack of good services for her area.

But she change her mind, dem wake up for her normal workday time to make sure she dey among di first voters wey go stand for queue to vote.

"I change my mind say I no go vote becos I realise say most pipo no dey vote becos dem dey vex about di lack of service delivery. Pipo don tire; we no get water and light. Today, I tell myself say I go vote for change," Ndimande tell, local media.

While Elzina Schulte, wey cast her vote for Faerie Glen voting station, tok say election dey very important for young pipo wey want di kontri to get direction wey e dey go.

"I tink say e dey very important to vote as youth for South Africa. I believe say we get hope and voting mean say we get our own voice for wetin our kontri and our future go look like. So, I dey very grateful say we fit do dat today," she tok.

Also, Werner Schulte, wey also cast him vote for di Faerie Glen station, tok say South Africans no suppose take dia democratic rights for granted.

"I also believe say na our democratic right to come out and cast our vote. Pipo fight for dis freedom, so make you go out dia [and vote]. We get hope for South Africa. Make we restore South Africa and make am kontri worth fighting for," e tok.