The Democratic Alliance risks losing its majority control of the City of Cape Town unless it intensifies campaigning ahead of the November 4 municipal elections, according to the latest Ipsos electoral survey reported by TimesLIVE. The survey indicates the Patriotic Alliance is growing while the ANC is clawing back support, placing the DA's hold on the metro under threat.

Johannesburg has taken out a significant loan to address its electricity issues, as the city's power infrastructure and billing systems require urgent improvements. A survey indicated that only 38% of residents were satisfied with their electricity services in 2023/2024, a sharp decline from 77% in 2017/18. The auditor general reported that the city allocated only 1% of its operating budget for maintenance in 2024/25, well below the recommended 8%.

Several prominent ANC figures, including Chikane, Lungisa and Mafu, have been left off the party's election lists amid internal nomination turmoil, according to TimesLIVE. The exclusions affect key mayoral hopefuls and highlight divisions within the party as it prepares its candidate slates for upcoming elections in South Africa.

In an opinion piece for TimesLIVE, Lucky Mathebula argues that South Africa's upcoming municipal elections will test whether constitutional government can function effectively at the local level where citizens live. According to Mathebula, the central question is whether coalition politics can produce stable, accountable municipalities capable of delivering services to residents, as hung councils and coalition arrangements have become an increasingly prominent feature of local governance in the country.

South African trade union federation Cosatu is facing pressure to choose between its long-standing alliance partners, the ANC and the SACP, ahead of the local government elections, according to TimesLIVE. The federation, historically aligned with both parties in the tripartite alliance, is reportedly caught between the two as tensions within the alliance grow, raising questions about its political positioning before voters head to the polls.

The Citizen has published its cartoon of the day for 8 September 2026, which focuses on the state of South Africa's governing party, the African National Congress. The cartoon poses the question of whether the ANC has been destroyed by its current leaders, reflecting ongoing public debate and commentary about the party's direction and leadership. As an editorial cartoon, it represents the publication's satirical take on a contested political question rather than a factual assertion about the party's condition.