First Take SA

The Department of Home Affairs will extend operating hours to help voters ahead of next week's local government elections. From the 2nd to the 4th of November, offices will be open from 8 in the morning until 6 in the evening. We spoke to Ndileka Cola, Home Affairs Head of Communications

The South African Local Government Association, SALGA, is urging South Africans to turn out in numbers for next week's local government elections. The association says Wednesday, the 4th of November, is a chance to elect ethical and capable leaders for the seventh administration. This as the newly launched Revised White Paper seeks to fix infrastructure and strengthen accountability in municipalities. Special voting begins on Monday, with election day declared a public holiday to allow for safe voting. To elaborate further we spoke to SALGA spokesperson, Motalatale Modiba.

Former President Thabo Mbeki says next week's local government elections are likely to produce hung municipalities. He says coalitions will be unavoidable in some areas where no party secures an outright majority. Mbeki has called on South Africans to participate fully in the electoral process.

Freedom of Religion South Africa has put political parties on the record regarding faith and state regulation ahead of next week's local government elections. The advocacy organisation surveyed parliamentary parties to unpack their stances on the CRL Rights Commission's legislative processes. Group leaders say the initiative aims to empower voters with factual positions rather than endorsing any specific political movement. The findings come as national debates intensify over how much oversight the state should have over religious bodies. Wespoke to Freedom of Religion SA Head of Legal, Liesl Pretorius to discuss the findings.

South Africa's Electoral Court will go into next week's local government elections without a full permanent complement. This after the Judicial Service Commission concluded its October interviews for superior courts, with the Electoral Court absent from the process. The JSC reportedly failed to shortlist enough candidates for the vacancies. Judges Matter Researcher and Advocacy officer, Mbekezeli Benjamin spoke to my colleague Oliver Dickson, about the implications of not having a full permanent complement at the Electoral Court.