SOUTH AFRICA · ELECTIONS
Key Facts
- What is happening About 50 killed in suspected political attacks in 2026, ahead of the 4 November local elections.
- Why it matters The confirmed count already exceeds full-year totals for 2021, 2024 and 2025, and special votes start 2 November.
- The numbers A crime-research group logged 43 political killings by September; 29.2 million voters are registered.
- Who is who The Electoral Commission (IEC) runs the vote; police and a joint security body, NATJOINTS, guard voting stations.
- What to watch Special votes on 2 and 3 November, election day on 4 November, and any new attacks before then.
- What it means for you Polling day, 4 November, is a public holiday; the US State Department rates South Africa Level 2.
South Africa holds local elections on Wednesday, 4 November, after researchers recorded at least 43 suspected political killings by September. An estimate for October lifts the toll to about 50.
South Africa election violence has killed about 50 people this year, researchers estimate, days before local polls on Wednesday, 4 November. The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), a research network, counted at least 43 of those killings by 30 September.
That already exceeds the group’s full-year totals of 30 killings in 2021, 33 in 2024 and 31 in 2025. Voting is three days away, and special votes begin on Monday, 2 November.
What the Count Shows
The research group recorded 43 people killed in 45 suspected political attacks between 1 January and 30 September 2026. In the same months of 2025 it recorded 23.
Of those, 41 were killed in 36 attacks on party officials, ward councillors, civic group members and traditional leaders. The June voter-registration weekend was the year’s deadliest for political hits, with 12 political cases that month.
The report’s author, researcher Julian Rademeyer, estimated on about 27 October that eight to ten more people died in October. That would put the 2026 toll at about 50, but the figure is an estimate, not a police count.
Who Has Been Targeted
Security officials said on 7 August that politically motivated murders this year included two ANC councillors, in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. They also listed two MK Party members and two EFF members in Gauteng, and a DA ward candidate in the Western Cape.
The Political Killings Task Team, set up by police in 2018, says it has arrested more than 400 suspects. Seven suspects had been arrested in connection with this year’s cases by 7 August.
- ANC: the African National Congress, led by President Cyril Ramaphosa, in national government since 1994.
- MK Party: uMkhonto weSizwe, founded in 2023 by former president Jacob Zuma and strong in KwaZulu-Natal.
- EFF: the Economic Freedom Fighters, a left-wing party led by Julius Malema.
- DA: the Democratic Alliance, a liberal party that governs the Western Cape province.
- NATJOINTS: the police-led National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure that coordinates election security.
- Local elections: a vote for city and town councillors, not for the national government.
How the Vote Is Being Protected
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC), which runs elections, lists 29,230,808 registered voters and 136,790 candidates. They are competing for 10,526 seats in 257 municipalities: 8 big-city metros, 44 districts and 205 local councils.
NATJOINTS describes an extensive election operational plan with visible policing. It has not published deployment numbers.
An inter-ministerial committee on elections, chaired by Minister Des van Rooyen, has condemned the killings of candidates. It urged parties, especially in KwaZulu-Natal, to stop them.
What It Means for You
For travellers, the US State Department rates South Africa Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, in an advisory reissued on 27 May 2025. It does not mention the elections, but warns that protests and strikes occur often and can turn violent.
Wednesday, 4 November is a public holiday declared for the election. Visitors should follow local guidance, as the advisory says demonstrations can start suddenly and disrupt transport.
For investors, this is a municipal vote that fills 10,526 council seats, not a national election. Results shape how cities such as Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban are run.
Related Rio Times reports include police plans for 331 high-risk voting stations and the field of 136,790 candidates. More is on the South Africa hub, the local elections page and the Johannesburg city guide.
What Is Not Known
The toll of about 50 is an estimate, because the last published count covers killings only to 30 September, at 43. The October additions rest on one researcher’s reported estimate, absent from the published report, and no national police total was found.
Motives are not settled in every case, since some killings are tied to organised crime. The research group itself classes the killing of one DA candidate as organised crime.
Police have not said how many officers will be deployed. Whether violence will reach polling days is unknown.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are South Africa’s local elections?
Voting is on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, a public holiday. Special votes take place on 2 and 3 November, from 08:00 to 17:00.
How many people have been killed in South Africa election violence?
A research group recorded 43 suspected political killings from January to September 2026. A researcher’s estimate for October puts the total at about 50.
Is it safe to travel to South Africa during the elections?
The US State Department rates South Africa Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, and warns that protests can turn violent. The advisory does not mention the elections.
What is being decided in the vote?
Voters choose councillors for 257 municipalities, with 10,526 seats and 136,790 candidates. It is a local vote, not a national election.
Sources: Electoral Commission of South Africa, Local Government Elections 2026 information; Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, Ballots and Bullets, 2 October 2026; South African Government, NATJOINTS briefing, 7 August 2026; South African Government, Inter-Ministerial Committee on Elections statement; US State Department, South Africa travel advisory (all accessed 1 November 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief