Icasa opens airwaves: PEB slots allocated as fierce 2026 local polls loom
With service delivery failures gripping municipalities nationwide, the elections are expected to be fiercely contested.
As South Africans prepare to cast their votes on November 4, 2026, the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (Icasa) is set to allocate Political Election Broadcast (PEB) slots, signaling a crucial step towards ensuring fair access to airwaves during the upcoming local government elections. These slots, which are free of charge and governed by the Municipal Elections Broadcasting Regulations, aim to provide political parties and independent candidates equal opportunity to share their policies and programs with voters.
Icasa's Elections Committee Chairperson, Ntombiza Sithole, highlighted the significance of these broadcasts, stating that they offer an essential platform for direct communication with constituents. The allocation process follows the receipt of the final candidate list from the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) and underscores Icasa's commitment to transparency and fairness.
With 546 political parties, including 732 registered ones, vying for 10,526 council seats across South Africa, the 2026 elections are anticipated to be intensely competitive. Major cities like Johannesburg, Tshwane, eThekwini, Ekurhuleni, and Cape Town are expected to see a high number of parties on the ballot, reflecting the country's political fervor ahead of the upcoming vote.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
