In the lead up to the national municipal elections later this year, the team at the Winelands’ Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) offices are hard at work preparing for the big day.

During a stakeholder session in Paarl on Thursday 26 March, the IEC’s Cape Winelands team confirmed work is underway for the upcoming poll in the 100 local wards, but various by-elections are also taking place.

The district currently has just over 411 000 registered voters across 100 wards and 260 voting districts.

Youth vote key

However, turnout on voting days remains a concern. During the 2024 national elections, just over 58% of registered voters in the district made their crosses, explained Liezl Louw, regional assistant manager of the IEC Cape Winelands.

In Stellenbosch preparations are underway for the by-election in Ward 16 (Cloetesville) on Wednesday 29 April. It comes after former DA ward councillor Elsabé Vermeuelen resigned to join the PA.

The Cape Winelands has five local councils – Stellenbosch, Witzenberg, Drakenstein, Breede Valley and Langeberg – which all form part of the district council in the form of the Cape Winelands District Municipality (CWDM).

According to Malusi Msomi, assistant IEC manager of outreach in the Western Cape, a focus of the commission is to get as many young, first-time voters to register.

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Nationally the gap between eligible South Africans and people who are registered to cast their votes was 30% during the last national elections. For youth voters this gap was even bigger with 73% of more than 2 million eligible young people not registered.

The local election is set to take place between 2 November 2026 and 30 January 2027, and voters will have three ballot papers to complete.

Residents in each ward will have to select a candidate that represents their interest in municipal council, the party they want to steer the municipality as well as a candidate for the district municipal council.

The votes cast for the CWDM will make up 40% of this municipal council.

Stellenbosch’s municipal council is currently made up of 45 councillors – 23 ward councillors and 22 proportional representative councillors.

A legal process to ensure the elections take place is underway, while logistical arrangements are also being considered. Voting stations and safety are being looked at, especially in neighbourhoods like Cloetesville where gang violence has been a problem.

Cloetesville also has two temporary voting stations with tents, which Louw admits is not ideal. André van der Westhuizen, Cloetesville Community Policing Forum (CPF) chairperson, suggested the IEC work closely with neighbourhood watches and the forum for a safe election.

Meanwhile, candidates hoping to represent the community of Ward 16 have until 8 April to register for the upcoming by-election.

The IEC called on locals intending to stand for the position of ward councillor of the Cloetesville area to apply.

Candidates must ensure they are registered voters in the municipal area and, if contesting independently, they must submit at least 50 signatures of registered voters from the relevant ward in support of the nomination. Candidates can be nominated by a registered political party.

All required documentation, along with the prescribed election deposit, must be submitted by 17:00 on 8 April.

Manual submissions of candidate nominations can be done at the Stellenbosch IEC offices at 21 Electron Road, Techno Park, Stellenbosch.

• South Africans aged 16 and older, with a valid identity document, may register online at www.registertovote.elections.org.za. Voters must be 18 and older to be eligible to vote.