ELECTIONS LIVE UPDATES | Last day for special voters to cast their ballot
October 31 2021 - 16:35
ANC support hits an all-time low as voter apathy sets in — Ipsos survey
Disillusionment and a belief that nothing will change, anger over corruption, distrust of politicians and overwhelming voter apathy — these are the reasons for a predicted low voter turnout and a massive drop in ANC support in Monday's local government elections.
Ipsos, the world’s third largest market research company, and TV news channel eNCA joined forces to carry out pre-election surveys. And this latest one, carried out on the eve of the election, has once again found that support for the governing ANC has dropped below 50%.
They carried out three waves of the study in October, and found that for the first time since the 1994 elections the ANC has shed a massive amount of support — having previously always garnered support indications well above 50%.
October 31 2021 - 14:36
Former uMngeni deputy mayor bids goodbye to ANC, and municipality, in favour of DA
A former ANC deputy mayor in KwaZulu-Natal has joined the DA after resigning from the uMngeni municipality and the ANC due to death threats.
Nompumelelo Buthelezi left the municipality and the ANC just days before the local government elections.
TimesLIVE was unable to reach Mkhize on Sunday however DA mayoral candidate in uMngeni Chris Pappas said the party was pleased to welcome Mkhize.
October 31 2021 - 14:03
WATCH | ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa ends election campaign on a high
After the local government elections SA communities need to hold a lekgotla to discuss how the country is going to resolve the ongoing electricity problems.
This was ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa’s last commitment on Sunday as he wrapped up his election campaign ahead of voting day on Monday.
“We are going to solve the electricity issue together. We are going to make sure that Eskom provides electricity for the whole of SA. But we must also solve this issue at a local level,” said Ramaphosa.
October 31 2021 - 11:11
Helen Zille throws barbs at IEC as she casts her special vote
DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille has expressed concern about the IEC's handling of the local government elections, saying the party is hoping for “no messing around” from the electoral commission.
“The DA is very ready, we just hope the IEC is ready and we hope that there is no messing around with the MEC7 forms. We will be watching that very, closely,” she said on Saturday.
“We don't have confidence in the IEC, we've said that often. They've got a lot to prove to win our confidence back,” she said.
October 31 2021 - 11:09
Battering winds expected in Western and Northern Cape on election day
Voters in parts of the Western and Northern Cape are in for a challenging time on Monday as heavy winds are predicted and polling stations set up in IEC tents are expected to receive a battering.
While the weather forecast for the local government elections on Monday is for warm and sunny conditions across Gauteng and no significant weather events in other parts of the country — potentially destructive winds are forecast for the southern extremities of the Western Cape as well as Calvinia, Sutherland and Fraserburg in the Northern Cape.
October 31 2021 - 09:57
“I can smell the victory,” says Ramaphosa in last election campaign push
With only a few hours to go before South Africans cast their vote for the local government elections, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa said he was confident that his party was going to surprise many.
“ Many people who thought that the ANC was on its knees and that the ANC will not mount a very successful campaign. We have mounted a really powerful campaign,” said Ramaphosa.
Speaking after addressing a small crowd which had gathered for a community meeting at the Kopanong Sports Ground in Ivory Park, Ramaphosa said: “Our own assessment is that the ANC is ready, we are fully and completely ready for the elections. Our supporters and members are primed to go out in great numbers to go and support the ANC and vote for the ANC.”