Elections 2026
How is your municipality doing?
We are doing in depth reports on municipalities across the country ahead of the 2026 local elections.
Raw sewage is flowing in nearly every metro
Sewage treatment scores have dropped in seven out of eight metro municipalities
Chart by The Outlier. Text by GroundUp Staff.
Charts | 18 September 2026
Makhanda’s decade-long struggle for reliable water
Upgrades to the water treatment plant to solve the crisis that started in 2015 are yet to be completed
By Sindisiwe Tshona and Loyiso Dyongman
News | 16 September 2026
Elections 2026: N1 town’s decade of decay
Beaufort West municipality says it does not have enough money to fix its ageing infrastructure. But the problem is self-inflicted
Text by Mary-Anne Gontsana. Photos by Ashraf Hendricks.
Feature | 16 September 2026
Video: Joburg’s water crisis, explained
We unpack why taps are dry
By Seth Thorne and Ihsaan Haffejee
Video | 14 September 2026
Only 1 in 3 people vote for their municipality
Most adults in South Africa stay away from the local polls
Chart by The Outlier. Text by GroundUp Staff.
Charts | 11 September 2026
Elections 2026: Blunders in Mangaung are poisoning Free State water
While the municipality loses billions, sewage flows into rivers and residents struggle for water
Feature | 1 September 2026
Young people stay home on voters day
Fewer young people are registering and turning out to vote
Chart by The Outlier. Text by GroundUp Staff.
Charts | 31 July 2026
Residents lay criminal charges against Theewaterskloof over illegal waste dump
Western Cape Department of Environmental Affairs says the municipality ignored a formal directive to remedy the situation
By Rasaad Adams
Brief | 29 July 2026
National Treasury to unfreeze funds to municipalities
But finance minister warns that some municipalities are “not off the hook”
By Liezl Human
Brief | 28 July 2026