# South Africa 2026 local government election preparations

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/south-africa-2026-local-government-election-preparations
> Updated: 2026-10-07T04:25:13.000Z. Sources: 7. Developments: 3.

In preparation for the South African local government elections scheduled for 4 November 2026, the Electoral Commission (IEC) has implemented several measures to ensure election integrity and technical reliability.

On 4 September, the IEC officially gazetted a ‘Disinformation Code’ to combat deceptive practices. Established under section 88 of the Local Government: Municipal Electoral Act, 2000, this framework regulates the deliberate publication of false information by candidates or parties. Sanctions for violations include fines, campaign restrictions, and potentially the cancellation of a party’s registration. The code requires parties and individuals acting for reward to verify accuracy and publicly correct false claims within 36 hours, aiming to balance freedom of expression with a transparent information ecosystem. Political parties are currently signing the IEC’s code of conduct pledge nationwide.

By late September, the IEC announced that political parties would be granted direct access to the election results system from 5 October to 12 October to conduct testing with independent experts to identify and fix systemic issues. To support the upcoming vote, which involves over 136,000 candidates, the IEC has upgraded voter management devices and trained more than 53,000 presiding and deputy presiding officers. Amidst these preparations, local representatives have noted ongoing municipal challenges, including electricity issues, deteriorating infrastructure, and hygiene concerns in informal settlements.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-07: South Africa's IEC introduces disinformation code of conduct

South Africa's IEC has launched a new Code of Conduct to counter disinformation ahead of local elections, while political parties begin signing pledges and addressing municipal infrastructure concerns.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-africas-iec-introduces-disinformation-code-of-conduct

### 2026-09-23: Electoral Commission to allow party testing of results system

South Africa's IEC will allow political parties to test the election results system in October to ensure transparency and technical stability ahead of the November 4 local government elections.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/electoral-commission-to-allow-party-testing-of-results-system

### 2026-09-08: South Africa's IEC gazettes disinformation code for 2026 elections

South Africa's Electoral Commission has introduced a Disinformation Code to combat false information ahead of the 2026 local elections, requiring parties to correct misleading content within 36 hours.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/south-africas-iec-gazettes-disinformation-code-for-2026-elections

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Cite as: South Africa 2026 local government election preparations. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/south-africa-2026-local-government-election-preparations