John Maytham speaks to independent elections analyst Michael Atkins following President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement that South Africa will head to the polls on November 4, 2026, for the local government elections. The discussion focuses on the readiness of the Independent Electoral Commission, which has seen a notable uptick in voter registrations, including more than 260,000 new sign-ups in recent months, driven in part by its online registration campaign. While this suggests some renewed engagement, questions remain around persistent voter apathy, logistical readiness, and outstanding ward demarcations. Atkins also weighs in on the growing shift toward online registrations, what it signals about voter behaviour, and how the Electoral Laws Amendment Bill could shape the electoral landscape, with e-voting firmly ruled out for this election cycle.

Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is a podcast of the CapeTalk breakfast show. 

This programme is your authentic Cape Town wake-up call. Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit is informative, enlightening and accessible. The team’s ability to spot & share relevant and unusual stories make the programme inclusive and thought-provoking. Don’t miss the popular World View feature at 7:45am daily. 

Listen out for #LesterInYourLounge which is an outside broadcast – from the home of a listener in a different part of Cape Town - on the first Wednesday of every month. This show introduces you to interesting Capetonians as well as their favourite communities, habits, local personalities and neighbourhood news. 

Thank you for listening to a podcast from Good Morning Cape Town with Lester Kiewit. 

Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays between 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Good Morning CapeTalk with Lester Kiewit broadcast on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk 

For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/xGkqLbT or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/f9Eeb7i 

Subscribe to the CapeTalk Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/sbvVZD5 
 
Follow us on social media 
 
CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk 
CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk 
CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ 
CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk 
CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk