YNews Elections Build-up | Joburg voters demand more than campaign promises ahead of elections

With just three days to go before the 2026 Local Government Elections, Johannesburg residents are questioning whether political parties have done enough to earn their trust, with some saying campaign visibility has not translated into meaningful engagement or convincing plans to improve service delivery.

Special voting is scheduled to take place on Monday and Tuesday, ahead of the main voting day on Wednesday, 4 November.

While some voters have already decided who they will support, concerns remain about whether political parties have adequately engaged communities and demonstrated how they intend to address residents’ everyday challenges.

One resident, Alexander Mnari, who has already made up his mind about who he will vote for, believes political parties have fallen short in their efforts to engage voters on the ground.

He says that while parties have found ways to attract attention through social media, their campaigns have done little to offer convincing policy proposals or practical plans for improving municipal services.

Mnari says residents, particularly those in Johannesburg’s inner city, need more than election promises. He pointed to ageing electricity and water infrastructure, policing and municipal services as areas requiring urgent intervention.

His concerns come as political parties enter the final stretch of campaigning, using rallies, campaign drives and social media to make their final appeal to voters ahead of next Wednesday’s polls.

Another undecided voter, Braamfontein resident Njabulo Mthethwa, says election promises and campaign billboards are not enough to earn public confidence.

Mthethwa believes political parties should be judged on their track records, accountability and ability to deliver tangible improvements in communities rather than relying on historical loyalties or last-minute campaigning.

He argues that trust should be built through consistent service delivery and visible results, rather than promises made during election campaigns.

Nationally, more than 29.9 million voters have registered with the Electoral Commission (IEC) to participate in the 2026 Local Government Elections.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared 4 November a public holiday, urging registered voters to use the opportunity to exercise their democratic right and civic duty.

Johannesburg remains one of the country’s most contested municipalities, with more than 2.4 million registered voters eligible to cast their ballots.

Meanwhile, the Police Ministry says it is stepping up security preparations ahead of the elections, engaging key stakeholders to assess readiness and identify potential risks.

With just days remaining before election day, political parties face the challenge of convincing residents that their campaign messages can translate into accountable leadership, reliable municipal services and tangible improvements in their communities.

#sapsHQ [READ: STATE OF READINESS BRIEFING BY THE NATIONAL COMMISSIONER OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE, GENERAL FANNIE MASEMOLA, DURBAN, KWAZULU-NATAL | THREE DAYS BEFORE THE 2026 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS]

With exactly three days to go until the 2026 Local Government Elections, the #SAPS wishes to assure South Africans that we are operationally ready to secure these elections.

The SAPS has been planning for these elections for several months. This has been a comprehensive and coordinated process involving detailed operational planning, resource mobilisation, risk assessments and simulation exercises to test our preparedness and ability to respond to different scenarios that may arise before, during and after election day.

Over the past few weeks, we have been criss-crossing the country, visiting provinces and assessing their state of readiness to ensure that the necessary operational plans, resources and security measures are in place.

Today, in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, assessment of the province’s state of readiness was concluded. KwaZuluNatal was the last province to be assessed as part of our nationwide readiness assessments.

Having completed this process, we are confident in our state of preparedness. We are satisfied that the necessary measures have been put in place and that the SAPS is ready to discharge its responsibility of ensuring safe, secure and peaceful elections.

As part of our security assessments, we have identified 331 high-risk voting stations across the country. These are voting stations located in areas that have the potential to experience instability, particularly as a result of service delivery protests, community unrest and other security-related incidents.

KwaZulu-Natal has the highest number of high-risk voting stations, with 165 identified across the province. Of these, 124 are in the eThekwini District, where we are gathered this morning. A further 16 are in uThukela, 13 in Amajuba, 11 in Zululand and one in the Ugu District.

In Gauteng, we have identified 119 high-risk voting stations. These are distributed as follows: 75 in the Johannesburg District, 23 in Ekurhuleni, 14 in the City of Tshwane, six in the West Rand and one in Sedibeng.

In the Western Cape, 33 high-risk voting stations have been identified, all within the City of Cape Town.

In Mpumalanga, we have identified 11 high-risk voting stations, six in Gert Sibande, three in Ehlanzeni and two in Nkangala.

In the Eastern Cape, three high-risk voting stations have been identified, all in the OR Tambo District.

The North West, Limpopo, Northern Cape and Free State have no voting stations classified as high-risk. These provinces have medium- and lowrisk voting stations.

We have taken these assessments into consideration in our operational planning and have deployed resources accordingly. Sufficient security measures are in place to address the identified risks, with enhanced police visibility and operational interventions where they are required.

We are confident that the measures implemented will enable us to respond effectively to potential threats and incidents.

We are, however, concerned about the killings and attacks targeting political party supporters, party members and ward candidates. These acts of violence have no place in our democracy. No person should lose their life or be attacked simply because of their political affiliation or their decision to participate in the electoral process.

The SAPS will not tolerate political intolerance, intimidation or violence. We are monitoring the situation closely, and where criminality occurs, we will act decisively to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.

We urge political parties to exercise tolerance and refrain from using violence to resolve political disputes. Differences must be resolved through lawful and peaceful means. 🗳️🇿🇦#LGE2026 #LocalGovElections #SafetyAndSecurity ME
To read the full briefing notes, click on this link: 👇https://t.co/fHpWAFwE0e

— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) October 30, 2026

Written by: Lebohang Ndashe