November 4 declared a public holiday

September 9, 2026 5

President Cyril Ramaphosa has officially declared Wednesday, 4 November 2026, a public holiday.

Millions of South Africans will head to the polls to elect councillors, mayors and municipal representatives who will govern the country’s 257 municipalities for the next five years.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) has announced that a total of 142 072 candidates have been nominated to contest 10 526 council seats across municipalities.

The commission has also recorded a 43% increase in candidate participation, compared with the 2021 local government elections.

Only 546 of the 732 registered political parties will contest the upcoming all-important elections.

Meanwhile, the IEC has introduced a new disinformation code.

The commission says free and fair elections depend not only procedural correctness, but also on credible information that is key to shaping the voters’ choices,

The IEC’s, Kate Bapela, says the newly introduced code is intended to enhance election integrity and promote free, fair and orderly elections.

The Code, which also protects legitimate and robust debate, governs the conduct of political parties, candidates and anyone acting on their instructions.

Political parties and candidates are required to check information for accuracy before sharing it and to publicly retract and correct any false or misleading information within 36 hours of becoming aware of it.

Where political content is concerned, parties and candidates are required to clearly label AI-generated content before distributing it. They must also clearly label political advertising so the public can identify who is behind it.

The disinformation code, which took effect on Friday, will remain in place until the declaration of the election results.

OFFICIALLY DECLARED! 🇿🇦

But, dear young people, 4 November 2026 is NOT an ordinary Public holiday and, in fact, it should NOT be considered a public holiday at all.

It is an ELECTORAL DAY ‼️‼️

And as citizens, we must treat voting as compulsory civic responsibility. This is… pic.twitter.com/2X7ITxVIp5

— Boitumelo Molefe (@Boitu_Molefe_) September 8, 2026

📢Ungathi Awuzwanga!!! 🗳️

4 November 2026 has officially been declared a public holiday to give South Africans the opportunity to participate in the Local Government Elections.

No excuses, Mzansi! 🙌🏾 Get out, make your voice heard and go vote! 🗳️🇿🇦

🔗 Proclamation… pic.twitter.com/ZNW4LdN5LT

— South African Government (@GovernmentZA) September 9, 2026