Monday 02 November 2026 — the stories that matter in South Africa today: the final run-in to Wednesday’s local government election, a R1.66 billion state-capture payback, a construction giant in business rescue, and two metros without water.
1. Special voting under way — the real vote is Wednesday 4 November
- The IEC opened special voting today, but ballot delays disrupted special voting at 217 voting districts in the Cape Metro.
- 546 parties and roughly 137,000 candidates are on the ballot — the biggest local election slate South Africa has seen.
- Police recorded 20 politically linked murders and 139 election-related crime cases in the run-up to the poll.
- The SANDF is on standby and NATJOINTS has warned that protests on election day will be treated as a criminal offence.
- The final poll before the vote shows ANC support down sharply, with the DA closing the gap.
2. Agrizzi ordered to pay back R1.66 billion
The Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, with Judge Mosopa presiding, granted the NPA a R1.66 billion confiscation order against former Bosasa chief operating officer Angelo Agrizzi, plus interest until the amount is paid. It follows his November 2025 plea and sentence agreement on three counts of corruption and one of money laundering. National Director of Public Prosecutions Andy Mothibi called it an important step in recovering money linked to corruption.
3. Concor in business rescue — 2,200 jobs at risk
Construction group Concor, now wholly owned by the Government Employees Pension Fund and the Unemployment Insurance Fund, has entered voluntary business rescue. CEO Marius Koen disclosed contingent liabilities above R1.6 billion and around R190 million owed to creditors. About 600 permanent head office staff and 1,500 fixed-term contractors are affected. Concor is a joint-venture partner on the Msikaba bridge, part of Sanral’s N2 Wild Coast toll road.
4. Water crisis deepens in Johannesburg and eThekwini
Parts of Johannesburg have now gone almost two weeks without reliable water, while eThekwini reservoirs are running dry and residents in several areas are left without supply. KwaZulu-Natal is the only province still on Eskom load reduction, with the utility citing illegal connections and meter tampering; the schedule runs to the end of November.
5. Phala Phala theft trial reaches judgment
The Modimolle Regional Court is expected to conclude the three-year trial of three accused over the theft of more than US$580,000 from President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala farm in Bela-Bela.
Madlanga Commission and justice
- Matipandile Sotheni, 42, a former SAPS Special Task Force member, appears in the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court today for the murder of Madlanga Commission witness Marius van der Merwe — “Witness D” — who was shot dead outside his Brakpan home in December 2025.
- The State is finalising cellphone analysis after three phones were found in the catwalk of his cell at Kgosi Mampuru II. Another postponement is likely.
- The Hawks are probing R1.2 billion in Free State housing projects, but disciplinary cases against officials will only conclude in 2027-28.
- The NPA has secured a R31 million forfeiture order in a KwaZulu-Natal land restitution fraud case.
Why it matters
Wednesday’s vote decides who runs the water and power failing right now, and the courts are finally turning state-capture testimony into money back in the state’s hands.