Central SA
Thousands of candidates to contest election in Northern Cape─── ZENANDE MPAME 12:04 Wed, 30 Sep 2026
The Northern Cape says it is ready for the local government elections, with significantly more political contestants than in the 2021 polls.
A total of 4,347 candidates from 54 political parties and 13 independent candidates are expected to contest the elections in the province. The Electoral Commission of South Africa has 736 voting stations in place across the province, though long distances and the geographical spread of communities continue to present logistical challenges.
The preparations were discussed on Tuesday (29/9) during the elections electoral code of conduct and disinformation pledge signing ceremony at the Flamingo Casino in Kimberley. The programme brought together election stakeholders to discuss preparations, the importance of the electoral code of conduct and the role of political contestants and other stakeholders.
Political contestants also publicly pledged their commitment to responsible participation and signed the electoral code of conduct. Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, IEC provincial head of elections Elkin Topkin said, “The significance of the code is that contestants publicly pledge that they will refrain from prohibited conduct and accept their responsibilities in upholding the rules and values that keep our democracy alive.
‘The province is ready, we started 18 months ago’
“In terms of our readiness, the province is ready. This is not our first election. This is the eleventh general election that we're preparing for, so the institutional knowledge is already there. In terms of all our logistical machinery, we started preparations 18 months ago. So the commission is ready, and we're continuing with the final preparations.
“Intense contestation is something that comes with our territory, and it's not new to us. We are prepared for it. Political parties must just ensure that we all abide by the rules of the game.”
The commission urged all contestants to play their part in ensuring that voters can make informed choices based on credible information as the country heads towards the 2026 local government elections.
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