Government reiterates warning against election misinformation

Government has reiterated its call for South Africans and political parties to refrain from spreading misinformation and disinformation about the 2026 Local Government Elections. 

Speaking to SAnews at the Electoral Commission of South Africa's (IEC) Results Operations Centre (ROC) in Midrand on Friday, Government Deputy Spokesperson William Baloyi warned that the circulation of unverified results and unauthorised photographs of marked ballot papers undermines the integrity of the electoral process.

Baloyi said the IEC remained the only legitimate authority mandated to announce election results. He urged the public to allow the results-capturing and verification processes to run their course.

“We want to appeal that misinformation and disinformation are criminal acts. The South African Police Service has already indicated the number of people who have been arrested for misinformation and disinformation,” Baloyi told SAnews.

He referred to the taking and sharing of photographs of oneself with a marked ballot paper as an example of conduct that contravenes electoral rules.

Baloyi also expressed concern about people circulating speculative election results before being officially announced by the IEC, warning this can mislead the public.

“The IEC is the legitimate structure that can pronounce all the results, and we want people to respect that,” he said.

Baloyi also called on political parties and independent candidates to use the appropriate IEC mechanisms to raise complaints or objections, as opposed to issuing statements that might create unnecessary tension.

He further urged all stakeholders to respect the outcome of the elections once the results have been finalised, saying these should be accepted as a reflection of the will of voters.

Young people commended for participating in elections

Meanwhile, Baloyi commended South Africans, particularly young people, for participating in the elections.

Baloyi described the turnout as an important milestone in the country's democratic development.

He highlighted the importance of local government elections, noting that municipalities are the sphere of government closest to communities and directly responsible for services that affect people's daily lives.

While the IEC will provide the official voter turnout figures, Baloyi welcomed reports of increased youth participation, adding that more young people must be encouraged to take part in democratic processes.

He also commended the security services and other stakeholders for their role in ensuring that the elections were generally incident-free, despite isolated challenges.

Baloyi emphasised that voting is only one part of the democratic process, and citizens should continue to hold elected representatives accountable by attending public meetings and following up on service delivery commitments.

“South Africa has once again demonstrated that it was a living democracy,” Baloyi said. – SAnews.gov.za
 

Source: Original report at SAnews.gov.za.