DA election campaign posters removed from Free State streets as police investigate theft case

The incident comes ahead of the municipal elections scheduled for 4 November 2026. Free State police are investigating the disappearance of Democratic Alliance (DA) election posters as preparations continue for the 2026 local government elections. The matter was reported in Hertzogville by a 44-year-old man who serves as a designated constituency officer for the DA in the Tokologo Local Municipality, according to the South African Police Service (Saps). DA election campaign material missing The complainant had erected 300 campaign posters across Hertzogville and Malebogo on Wednesday, 2 September 2026. LIVE interactive map, latest news, multimedia and more! View Map More than a month later, on 11 October, he returned to count the posters and discovered that only 126 were still in place. The remaining posters had allegedly been removed from several locations in the area. The police estimate the value of the missing campaign material at R32 190. “It was then revealed that 174 DA political party campaign posters had been unlawfully removed and taken from Malebogo Street, Van Niekerk Street, Skool Street and the R708 Christiana road,” the Saps statement reads. A theft case has been opened, and investigations are under way. Saps has cautioned the public against removing election campaign material belonging to political parties or candidates. “Police would like to bring it to the attention of members of the public that unlawfully removing any billboard, placard or poster published by a political party or candidate for the purpose of an election is prohibited by law in terms of section 72(1) of the Local Government: Municipal Electoral Act 27 of 2000. “It contravenes the electoral code of conduct. Individuals or parties who are found to be in contravention of the regulation under this Act could be criminally liable.” Millions of voters expected to participate The incident comes ahead of the municipal elections scheduled for 4 November 2026, with special voting planned for 2 and 3 November. President Cyril Ramaphosa has declared election day a public holiday. Figures from the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) indicate that nearly 29.2 million voters are registered to participate in the municipal polls. The contest will involve 546 political parties and almost 137 000 candidates competing for slightly more than 10 500 council seats. Of these candidates, approximately 98 000 are contesting ward councillor positions, while another 38 000 are standing on the proportional representation (PR) ballot. The elections will take place across eight metropolitan municipalities, 47 district municipalities and 205 local municipalities.