Update@Noon

South African Local Government Association spokesperson Motalatale Modiba says voters must choose capable, visionary and action-oriented councillors to lead municipalities. He says local government needs leaders who can implement existing plans and address service delivery challenges. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SALGA spokesperson

National Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Andy Mothibi says more than 25 election-related cases have been enrolled in court, with about 20 others still under investigation. He says the NPA is working with police to ensure swift prosecution of offences, including assault and intimidation to IEC stuff as voting continues across the country.

With the 2026 Local Government Elections underway across the country, queues have formed outside voting stations as residents prepare to cast their ballots. Over 29 million South Africans have registered to vote in the country’s seventh democratic local elections. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to SABC news reporters spread across the country.

Telkom Group CEO Serame Taukobong says the company is providing the digital infrastructure supporting the IEC's 2026 Local Government Elections Results Operations Centre. He says its Openserve fibre network connects 400 results-capturing sites and nine regional centres. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Telkom Group CEO Serame Taukobong

Political analyst Tara says South Africa needs a strong voter turnout in the 2026 Local Government Elections, particularly among young people.She says only 11% of voters aged between 18 and 25 participated in the 2021 elections, partly due to unemployment, economic challenges and disillusionment with local government. Sakina Kamwendo spoke to Tara Roos, political analyst, author and podcaster