The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has opened a criminal case after a ballot box and a security pack were stolen from Mnyameni Secondary School in KwaNyuswa, according to IOL.
The school falls under the eThekwini Metro in KwaZulu-Natal. The theft happened during the 2026 Local Government Elections, held on Wednesday.
It was not the only theft reported in the province. The IEC is also investigating an overnight break-in at Amahlongwa Community Hall. Three ballot boxes and other voting equipment were taken there.
The commission said the Amahlongwa break-in would not affect special voting. It said ballot papers and the stamps used to validate them were kept in secure storage.
Voting stations were set to open from 7am to 9pm on Wednesday. In Mfuleni, Cape Town, a long queue of voters formed outside Bardale Primary School. IEC officials worked late into the night to help the remaining voters after 9pm.
Police stepped up security ahead of voting day. According to NATJOINTS, police recorded 20 murders of political representatives, party members and supporters during the election period. Seven people have been arrested for those killings.
NATJOINTS said a further 139 election-related criminal dockets were registered across the country. These led to 48 arrests.
The SANDF was placed on standby to support police in hotspots if needed. Intelligence-led operations were also started in all nine provinces.
In KwaZulu-Natal, thousands of officers were sent to guard more than 4,300 voting stations, results centres and other election sites. The province has more than 5.8 million registered voters across 54 municipalities.
Special voting also ran into problems. The IEC said more than 780,000 special votes were cast on the first day, despite delays at some stations. In Cape Town, more than 200 stations reportedly faced delays because of ballot paper shortages.
The Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change flagged 79 possibly harmful social media posts over seven days. These included claims of election rigging and calls to confront foreign nationals at voting stations. The group said its findings did not prove any planned violence or organised activity.
An Ipsos Khayabus Pulse of the People survey, released before the vote, found no party had majority support nationally. The ANC had 30% among registered voters who picked a party, the DA had 28%, the MK Party 12% and the EFF 10%.
In eThekwini, the MK Party has said it is preparing for the chance of taking control of the city and its R75 billion budget. The final result and any coalition talks were still to be decided.
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL. Image: IOL. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.