For Creamer Media in Johannesburg, I’m Halima Frost.

Making headlines: Final weekend to register to vote; DA demands answers over Army Chief’s Moscow visit; And, Parliament welcomes Treasury’s release of R7.1bn in municipal funds, but says it will be monitored

Final weekend to register to vote

The Independent Electoral Commission is entering its final phase of operational readiness ahead of the final voting station-based registration weekend and is urging voters to make use of the opportunity before the voter’s roll closes.

As voters prepare to register on Saturday and Sunday, the commission expects Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa to officially proclaim the 2026 local government elections date.

This looming proclamation carries strict legal deadlines for voters and political parties and triggers an immediate freeze on voter data.

While President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the election date as November 4, that did not constitute the formal proclamation of the election date.

IEC CEO Sy Mamabolo stressed that the voters’ roll will close at midnight on the exact day the election is proclaimed, warning that no new registrations can be processed and no changes to existing voter registration details will be allowed after.

DA demands answers over Army Chief’s Moscow visit

The DA will submit urgent parliamentary questions to Minister of Defence and Military Veterans Angie Motshekga following an official visit to Moscow by Chief of the South African Army Lieutenant-General Lawrence Mbatha.

According to a South African National Defence Force statement, the visit aimed to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation, foster closer collaboration with Russian Ground Forces, and expand joint military training and education.

The official programme featured high-level staff talks, a visit to the Moscow Combined Arms School, and a wreath-laying ceremony at the tomb of the unknown soldier.

DA spokesperson on Defence and Military Veterans Chris Hattingh, said the party is seeking “immediate transparency” by demanding clarity on who approved the trip and whether the Presidency or Dirco were consulted, the total cost of the delegation, the exact objectives, agreements concluded, and specific defence topics discussed and how the engagement aligns with South Africa's foreign policy.

Hattingh rejected the idea that the trip was routine defence diplomacy and argued that strengthening military ties during Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine amounts to an “endorsement of its military campaign”.

And, Parliament welcomes Treasury’s release of R7.1bn in municipal funds, but says it will be monitored

Parliament’s joint oversight committees have welcomed National Treasury’s announcement that the remaining R7.1-billion in withheld local government equitable share transfers will be released to 49 municipalities on Friday.

The breakthrough follows a critical meeting between Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Velenkosini Hlabisa regarding Treasury’s recent decision to temporarily freeze R13.5-billion from 69 noncompliant municipalities.

The initial financial freeze severely impacted municipalities across all nine provinces, including the City of Johannesburg, Mangaung, Buffalo City, Nelson Mandela Bay, Madibeng, and Nkomazi.

Speaking at a media briefing yesterday, Godongwana clarified that the release of the funds was strictly conditional.

To ensure long-term compliance, a highly structured monitoring programme will accompany the released funds.

Municipalities face hard reporting and implementation deadlines from September 30 until November 30 to prove they are actively correcting their financial mismanagement.

They need to show measurable progress toward full statutory compliance, conduct thorough internal investigations into financial irregularities and pursue swift disciplinary processes against failing officials.

Municipalities will also need to recover financial losses incurred through mismanagement and institute criminal proceedings where evidence warrants it.

This compliance strategy will be driven by a broad coalition of State institutions, involving the South African Local Government Association, provincial premiers, MECs for finance and cooperative governance, provincial treasuries, and the affected municipalities themselves.

That’s a roundup of news making headlines today

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