Parties sign electoral code, pledge peaceful 2026 local government elections

By Lebone Rodah Mosima

Political parties on Wednesday signed the Electoral Code of Conduct, pledging their commitment to a peaceful, free and fair democratic process ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections in November.

The signing took place at the Gallagher Convention Centre in Midrand, where parties also outlined their priorities for local government, including service delivery, municipal accountability and improving the functioning of municipalities.

Speaking to Inside Politics after the signing, Democratic Alliance Federal Chairperson Solly Msimanga outlined the party’s priorities and commitments for local government.

He said several measures could be introduced to ensure municipalities under the party’s administration met residents’ expectations.

“One is that you need to look at the performance of the municipalities going forward. Do they improve? Do they regress? Do they stay the same?” Msimanga said.

“You will see that in the audit reports. You will see that on the ground where delivery of