by Silence Charumbira
JOHANNESBURG, Nov. 2 (Xinhua) -- As South Africa entered the special voting phase on Monday ahead of Wednesday's local government elections, security officials highlighted the importance of safeguarding the electoral process.
Tebello Mosikili, chairperson of the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure, said Sunday that 20 people had been killed in election-related incidents involving political representatives, party members and supporters, with seven arrests made in connection with the killings.
"We remain particularly concerned about incidents involving the loss of life during the election period," Mosikili said, calling for elections to be conducted in a peaceful and secure environment.
Independent monitoring organizations have also documented political violence during the election period. The Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) recorded at least 43 people killed in 45 political attacks between January and September, compared with 23 political killings over the same period last year.
COMPETITION FOR LOCAL OFFICE
Analysts say the violence is often linked not only to political differences but also to the considerable influence and economic benefits associated with municipal positions.
Data showed that a ward councillor earns more than 25,000 rand (about 1,500 U.S. dollars) a month before allowances, a substantial income in a country where the official unemployment rate stands at around 33 percent and the national minimum wage is nearly 6,000 rand.
Julian Rademeyer, author of GI-TOC's October report on political killings, said political competition at the local level had become increasingly intertwined with economic and other interests.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, campaigning in KwaZulu-Natal last week, called for those responsible for political killings to face justice, stressing that such violence had no place in a democratic society.
MUNICIPAL GOVERNANCE UNDER SCRUTINY
Beyond security concerns, the elections are also taking place against a backdrop of growing public attention to the performance and financial management of local governments.
In June, Auditor-General Tsakani Maluleke reported that 39 of South Africa's 257 municipalities had obtained clean audits for the 2024-25 financial year, while none of the country's eight metropolitan municipalities had achieved the same standard.
The report also highlighted differences in municipal financial performance, with 38 municipalities, accounting for 24 percent of local government spending, recording a decline in audit outcomes compared with 2020-21.
An October paper by the Cape Town-based Inclusive Society Institute suggests that municipal governance challenges extend across the political spectrum. Researchers Nondumiso Alice Sithole and Noleen Sukhessan-Dawson argue that audit findings point to broader institutional and administrative challenges rather than problems confined to particular political parties.
COALITION POLITICS IN SPOTLIGHT
With political parties competing for support, coalition-building is expected to remain a central issue in the post-election landscape.
South Africa has about 29.2 million registered voters, while more than 2.6 million applications for special votes were approved for Monday and Tuesday.
Ipsos analyst Mari Harris expects coalition arrangements to emerge in most metropolitan municipalities, reflecting the increasingly competitive nature of South African local politics.
The legal and institutional framework for coalition governance is also receiving attention. Parliament's Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Committee has confirmed that the Municipal Structures Amendment Bill, which seeks to provide clearer rules for the formation and operation of municipal coalitions, will not be finalized before the elections.
Former president Thabo Mbeki has cautioned that competing interests within coalition governments could make it more difficult to implement policies addressing unemployment, poverty and service delivery. ■