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        <title>Polity.org.za | Other Opinions</title>
        <description><![CDATA[Polity.org.za offers a unique take on news, with a focus on political, legal, economic and social issues in South Africa and Africa, as well as international affairs. Polity strives to provide our readers reliable and objective reporting on important issues that drive our society.]]></description>
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            <title>#LGE2026: nine ANC manifesto claims put to the test </title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/lge2026-nine-anc-manifesto-claims-put-to-the-test-2026-10-21</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Several of the ANC’s claims are supported by the data, including those on access to water and sanitation, state-subsidised housing, employment programmes and youth unemployment. But others need important context, including figures on internet access, job opportunities and a much debated decline in the murder rate.   Being able to accurately understand the manifesto’s claims may help voters better assess the ANC’s record.   With South Africans set to vote in local government elections on 4 November 2026, the African National Congress (ANC) is campaigning on what it says it has achieved and what it plans to do in municipalities over the next five years. Polls indicate the party is bleeding support in several major municipalities. In the party’s manifesto, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledges that many municipalities are not working as they should. The ANC nonetheless points to gains in access to basic services, housing, employment programmes and crime reduction. ]]></description>
            <author>Africa  Check</author>
            <category>Other Opinions</category>
            <pubDate>Wed, 21 Oct 2026 11:41:00 +0200</pubDate>
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            <title>#LGE2026 FACTSHEET: what the data tells us about electricity access in South Africa</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/lge2026-factsheet-what-the-data-tells-us-about-electricity-access-in-south-africa-2026-10-15</link>
            <description><![CDATA[        South Africa’s electricity grid has been more stable in recent months, but ageing local infrastructure and rising costs mean the country’s electricity problems now extend beyond issues with national generation.  Delays in restoring power after unplanned outages can disrupt water pumps in high-rise buildings, force households and businesses to spend more on generator fuel and lead to food spoilage, among other things.]]></description>
            <author>Africa  Check</author>
            <category>Other Opinions</category>
            <pubDate>Thu, 15 Oct 2026 11:49:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>732251</a_id>
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        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
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            <title>From NUM to NEHAWU within COSATU: What Happened to Industrialisation?</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/from-num-to-nehawu-within-cosatu-what-happened-to-industrialisation-2026-10-15</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) used to be located close to COSATU center. A mineworker was more than just an underground earner. Due to their proximity to the nation's economic engine, organised mineworkers held significant influence in South Africa. Besides wages and salaries, they fought over wealth distribution and South Africa's economic future. The National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union (NEHAWU) and other public-sector unions seem to be at the center of COSATU's current focus. This is not a grievance against public employees. The tasks that every society requires are performed by teachers, nurses, medical professionals, and other public servants. More importantly, what does this shift tell us about the economy and what happened to industrialisation, which was meant to improve workers' futures?]]></description>
            <author>Creamer Media Reporter  </author>
            <category>Other Opinions</category>
            <pubDate>Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:21:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>732224</a_id>
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        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
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            <title>South Africa’s #LGE2026: how your vote is counted – and what if something goes wrong?</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/south-africas-lge2026-how-your-vote-is-counted-and-what-if-something-goes-wrong-2026-10-14</link>
            <description><![CDATA[It’s election season in South Africa, and much of the public debate so far has focused on voter numbers, turnouts and predictions of results. How many people are registered? Who’s most likely to win? What could possible coalitions look like?  There’s been less focus on what happens when the polls close on 4 November. Africa Check has seen how quickly this kind of information vacuum can create room for mis- and disinformation to circulate online. ]]></description>
            <author>Africa  Check</author>
            <category>Other Opinions</category>
            <pubDate>Wed, 14 Oct 2026 10:59:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>732162</a_id>
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        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
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            <title>Fact-checking 2026 Independence Day claims by Nigerian president Bola Tinubu </title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/fact-checking-2026-independence-day-claims-by-nigerian-president-bola-tinubu-2026-10-07</link>
            <description><![CDATA[With Nigeria’s presidential election set for 16 January 2027, president Bola Tinubu used the country’s 66th Independence Day on 1 October to make the case for his record. Tinubu pointed to improvements in economic growth, inflation, foreign reserves and investment. These issues are likely to remain central to the campaign, particularly after reforms that have put pressure on prices and household finances.]]></description>
            <author>Africa  Check</author>
            <category>Other Opinions</category>
            <pubDate>Wed, 07 Oct 2026 11:48:00 +0200</pubDate>
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        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
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            <title>SA/US Quo Vadis II</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/saus-quo-vadis-ii-2026-09-30</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The recently announced US visa arrangements, followed by the US ambassador’s belligerent remarks, have put SA/US relations back in the spotlight again. In March I published a first note on the topic and pointed to the starkly contrasting ways the US and China treat SA; that US policy towards SA has been captured by the “Afrikaner genocide” narrative; that the SA government cannot agree to the five demands the US has put to SA; and that the relationship is therefore in a deadlock. The recent developments have reinforced those conclusions. Relations are now more frigid than they were in March.]]></description>
            <author>Creamer Media Reporter  </author>
            <category>Other Opinions</category>
            <pubDate>Wed, 30 Sep 2026 10:24:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>731213</a_id>
        <updated>1790757509</updated>
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        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
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        <image_title>JP Landman</image_title>
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            <title>#LGE2026: Seven claims from the DA’s election manifesto fact-checked</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/lge2026-seven-claims-from-the-das-election-manifesto-fact-checked-2026-09-28</link>
            <description><![CDATA[South Africans will vote in local government elections on 4 November 2026. Survey data from Afrobarometer suggests that unemployment, crime, water and electricity are among voters’ main concerns.  These are also among the main issues the Democratic Alliance (DA) is campaigning on. The party's election manifesto sets out how it plans to improve water supply, keep the lights on and make communities safer, among other priorities. ]]></description>
            <author>Africa  Check</author>
            <category>Other Opinions</category>
            <pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 2026 15:45:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>731072</a_id>
        <updated>1790603388</updated>
        <published>1790603100</published>
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        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
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            <title>What South Africa’s major parties are promising voters in the 2026 local elections</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/what-south-africas-major-parties-are-promising-voters-in-the-2026-local-elections-2026-09-25</link>
            <description><![CDATA[South Africans vote in local government elections on 4 November 2026. From water and electricity to refuse collection and roads, local government is the sphere of government that most directly affects daily life. ]]></description>
            <author>Africa  Check</author>
            <category>Other Opinions</category>
            <pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 10:11:00 +0200</pubDate>
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        <editor>Africa  Check</editor>
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            <title>Johannesburg tests solar microgrids for informal settlements</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/johannesburg-tests-solar-microgrids-for-informal-settlements-2026-09-23</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Johannesburg is investing R517.8-million in solar-powered microgrids that roll out renewable energy in five informal settlements, Thabo Molelekwa reports. Johannesburg is turning to solar power and battery storage to address one of the city’s most persistent electricity challenges: how to provide safe, reliable and legal electricity to informal settlements where conventional grid connections are not viable.]]></description>
            <author>Creamer Media Reporter  </author>
            <category>Other Opinions</category>
            <pubDate>Wed, 23 Sep 2026 14:08:00 +0200</pubDate>
        <a_id>730889</a_id>
        <updated>1790588944</updated>
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        <editor>Creamer Media Reporter  </editor>
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            <title>GUIDE: How to see through political spin before South Africa’s November 2026 election</title>
            <link>https://www.polity.org.za/article/guide-how-to-see-through-political-spin-before-south-africas-november-2026-election-2026-09-08</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Political parties have been launching manifestos and local government campaigns   Many of these claims contain real numbers and verifiable achievements. But a claim does not need to be false to mislead. ]]></description>
            <author>Africa  Check</author>
            <category>Other Opinions</category>
            <pubDate>Tue, 08 Sep 2026 10:53:00 +0200</pubDate>
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