FRIDAY BRIEFING | Battle royale: Will it be a flush for political parties in municipal election?

A good place to test the temperature of an election is to examine the figures from voter registration drives, which paint an important picture

EDITORIAL Battle royale: Will it be a flush for political parties in municipal election? Every five years, the country holds a municipal election. While everyone expected it would happen this year, concerns were raised about the Covid-19 pandemic and whether free and fair elections could be held if it went ahead as planned in October. This left political parties in limbo - unsure of whether to canvass for support or wait until the Constitutional Court made its ruling after the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) approached it after getting a report from former deputy chief justice Dikgang Moseneke. A mad scramble ensued after the court ruled municipal elections must proceed no later than 1 November. It was later proclaimed as the election date, with voters were given one weekend to get their affairs in order to update their details or register. With the elections just around the corner, Friday Briefing examines just how successful political parties have been in their endeavour to get your vote. Independent elections analyst Dawie Scholtz writes a good place to test the temperature of an election is to examine the figures from voter registration drives, which paint an important picture. He writes that we should not be surprised if there is a low voter turnout, based on the last voter registration figures. News24's political editor, Qaanitah Hunter, examines the youth numbers of those who registered and raises some concerns. Finally, Auwal Socio-Economic Research Institute analyst Ebrahim Fakir and the Centre for Analytics and Behavioural Change's Molebogeng Mokoka analyse some of the conversations taking place in Twitterverse around the elections and break down the disinformation campaign that is going on, and consider why some political parties should be perturbed. Hope you enjoy this week's read. Have a good weekend. Best, Vanessa Banton Opinions editor What the voter registration data is telling us - and why the ANC should be worried Following the recent voter registration drive, independent election analyst Dawie Scholtz examines the figures and comes to three important conclusions that should make political parties sit up and take note of.  Read More Despondent, disinterested: Voter registration numbers are nothing to crow about The government and the IEC should not be patting themselves on the back for the voter registration numbers. Qaanitah Hunter writes it is concerning that young voters are not interested in making their mark. Read More Elections 2021: There's a f(r)action too much f(r)iction As we head closer to the municipal elections expected to take place on 1 November, the trend of mis- and disinformation on social media is expected to grow as party and candidate campaigning intensifies, making it essential for voters to be able to separate fact from fiction, write Ebrahim Fakir and Molebogeng Mokoka. Read More COLUMNIST Melanie Verwoerd | It's game on for Cape Town, but will the DA take the metro again? While the DA is likely to keep control of the Cape Town metro, there is a high probability that smaller parties and independent candidates are going to take a bite out of the DA's blue cake in the city, writes Melanie Verwoerd. COLUMNIST Mandy Wiener | What if there is no one you want to vote for in this election? Is not voting an act of demonstrating one's dissatisfaction with the parties or candidates on the ballot paper? asks Mandy Wiener. COLUMNIST Mpumelelo Mkhabela | State must place a moratorium on new promises, and sort out the basics first Inefficient and corrupt states that can't fix potholes must not run a bank, writes Mpumelelo Mkhabela. Editor's Picks Is the Constitutional Court slipping? No, on the contrary: In the face of challenges on the integrity of the Constitutional Court, Edwin Cameron and Johan Froneman write that the country's apex court has held its head high in the struggle to fulfil the Constitution's promises. Read more Why AA is a far bigger problem than BEE for SA: Ebrahim Harvey argues that our body politic over the past decade has been going through a pronounced and narrow Africanism in general terms, as a result of Affirmative Action policies. Read more I am often asked if I regret returning to South Africa - and here's how I answer: By choosing to live in the country, Howard Feldman writes that we are choosing to live with imperfection. We are "choosing to 'tolerate', but also choosing to be part of something that can be so much greater than ourselves." Read more Most read EXCLUSIVE | 'It was inappropriate, wrong' - David Mackenzie's touchy water polo tactics questioned: In the third episode, the boys detail Mackenzie's alleged favouritism, inappropriate relationships with pupils and concerning experiences with him. Read more ANALYSIS | Health, crime, housing, service delivery: What are the ANC, DA and EFF promising?: Although manifesto launches this year came with less fanfare and glitz, political parties made their customary pledges, and what they would do if elected. Read more IN-DEPTH | We can't move to a Level 1 lockdown unless more people are vaccinated - expert: News24 spoke to two experts about whether it is safe to move the country to a lower lockdown level. Read more DOWNLOAD THE NEWS24 APP CONNECT WITH US

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