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Articles by Sy Mamabolo
IEC election readiness; equal to the task
South Africa is heading into an exciting week. This weekend, the nation’s attention will turn to one of the country’s biggest football fixtures: the Soweto derby, as Orlando Pirates take on Kaizer Chiefs at FNB Stadium. Just four days later, on 4 November, another kind of contest will unfold across more than 23 000 voting stations in the country. This time, the contest will not be decided on the football pitch, but at the ballot box, as South Africans choose those who will lead municipal councils.
TikTok Bets Big on Election Integrity Ahead of 2026 Vote
TikTok is pouring resources into its South African operation ahead of the country’s sixth local government elections on 4 November 2026, betting that platform integrity is now a commercial asset. The company frames the spend as a year-round investment aimed at keeping the South African community safe and authentic on the app, while positioning the platform as a marketplace for reliable civic information. The commercial logic is straightforward.
ANC's Registration Collapse Threatens Ballot Access in Six Municipalities Ahead of 2026 El
One hundred and eighty-one candidates. That is the number the African National Congress failed to register before the 28 August 2026 deadline for the 4 November local government elections, a lapse that now threatens to exclude the party from ballots in two municipalities entirely and strip it of representation in four others. The operational failure is specific and traceable.
South Africa’s future is being written – make sure your name is on it
THE 2026/27 Local Government Elections are not a distant event on a calendar. They are coming – and the window for preparation is narrowing. Every South African who wants their voice to count, every ward that deserves genuine representation, every community that needs a councillor who actually answers to the people living in it: your moment of power begins now, with registration. These are not ordinary elections.
June voter registration weekend set as IEC prepares for elections
IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo confirmed that over 260,000 new voter registrations were recorded between November 2025 and March 2026, reflecting growing confidence in the commission’s digital and in-person registration methods.
The IEC is ready for elections Original
The IEC said it was ready for the elections. Picture: Leon Lestrade/Independent Newspapers Published 8m ago | Published 8m ago By Sy Mamabolo South Africa’s democracy is 30 years this month on April 27. As we commemorate the 30th anniversary of our democracy, it is vital to reflect on one of its abiding successes. That is, the conduct of regular, credible, free and fair elections underpinned by values of multi-partyism, and universal suffrage as enshrined in our Constitution.
Sy Mamabolo | SA's historic milestone: 27.8 million voting citizens registered for elections
Voting is a fundamental right in a democracy, and the voters’ roll is part of the mechanism that allows citizens to do so says Sy Mamabolo South Africans need to be in the know if we want to create a prosperous future. News24 has kept the country informed for 25 years, and we're about to enter a new chapter of fearless journalism. Join our free subscription trial to unlock this story and a world of news aimed to inform, empower, and inspire.
Three decades of electoral democracy Original
The IEC said it was ready for the national and provincial elections in 2024. File Picture: Henk Kruger / Independent Newspapers Published 23m ago | Published 23m ago By Sy Mamabolo Every five years, a civic duty falls upon the shoulders of adult South Africans. This is a duty whose importance transcends all other. This duty is the cornerstone of our democratic reality, the bedrock upon which our political system is built.
IEC: We’re ready for the 2019 national elections
IEC: We’re ready for the 2019 national elections The electoral commission says it’s made significant progress to update the voters' roll to contain addresses of all voters. A screengrab of the IEC's chief electoral officer, Sy Mamabolo, giving an update on voter registration in Midrand, Johannesburg. Picture: YouTube. MIDRAND - The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) says it’s on track and ready for the 2019 national elections.
Less is more when it comes to the ballot paper
Less is more when it comes to the ballot paper In last year’s general election in the UK the Official Monster Raving Loony Party received 3 890 votes, nowhere near enough to win a seat in Parliament, but still enough votes to put it ahead of about 50 smaller parties in the final ranking.
An updated voters roll is the first step to fair elections
Voters Thabo Molale and his mother, Lizzie Molale, centre, wait in line for the gate to open to get ballot papers at the voting station in Dobsonville, Soweto. Far from being a limitation on citizens’ right to vote, the establishment and maintenance of the voters roll is a fundamental safeguard for free and fair elections, says the writer.Picture: Motlabana Monnakgotla Since March 2016, the Electoral Commission has been on a mission to update the voters roll with addresses.
This weekend is for updating voters’ roll
This weekend is for updating voters’ roll As with modern democracies, South Africa regularly holds general elections, the next one being next year. The Constitution mandates that these elections are to take place within 90 days of the expiry of the current legislative bodies in May 2019. One of the core aspects of free and fair elections is the establishment and maintenance of an accurate voters’ roll. Ours was first established in late 1998 ahead of the 1999 national and provincial elections.
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