The South African Weather Service heat advisory for Cape Town and surrounding areas remains in place, with temperatures expected to peak on Wednesday, 11 March.

City officials say Wednesday is forecast to be the hottest day of the week, before temperatures gradually begin to drop towards Friday.

Much of the Western Cape is expected to experience extreme heat on Wednesday, with several inland towns forecast to reach or exceed 40°C.

Cape Town is forecast at 40°C, with the real-feel temperature probably much higher.

Forecast maximum temperatures:

• Vredendal: 44°C
• Clanwilliam: 44°C
• Paarl: 44°C
• Malmesbury: 43°C
• Stellenbosch: 43°C
• Worcester: 42°C
• Ceres: 41°C
• Atlantis: 41°C
• Cape Flats: 41°C
• Cape Town CBD: 40°C
• Langebaan: 40°C
• Grabouw: 40°C
• Robertson: 40°C
• Strand: 39°C
• Cape Point: 32°C

The outlook for the weekend shows maximum temperatures returning to the mid to upper 20s.

According to City of Cape Town Disaster Risk Management spokesperson Charlotte Powell, no heat-related emergencies have been reported so far this week.

However, residents are being urged to remain cautious and take steps to reduce the risk of heat-related illness.

“We do want to remind the public to continue doing everything possible to reduce their risk of heat-related impacts, and to pay special attention to the needs of children, the elderly, pets and other vulnerable groups,” Powell said.

READ: Protect your pets during Cape Town’s scorching temperatures 

Residents are also advised to avoid strenuous outdoor activity during the hottest part of the day to reduce the risk of heat exhaustion.

The City has also warned that the heat advisory increases the risk of fires, and the public is urged to exercise caution when using open flames.

Any signs of fire or other emergencies should be reported to the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre on 021 480 7700.

The Electoral Commission of South Africa has announced that a national voter registration weekend will take place on 20 and 21 June as part of preparations for the upcoming local government elections.

Speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday, the Commission urged South Africans to ensure they are registered to vote where they ordinarily live, as voters in local government elections must cast their ballots at the voting station where they are registered.

The Commission said it must be ready to administer elections whenever they are lawfully called.

Once the voter registration process is completed, the election date is expected to be proclaimed by the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Velenkosini Hlabisa.

Eligible voters will be able to register until midnight on the day the election date is announced.

The proclamation will also trigger key processes such as the certification and publication of the voters’ roll, inspection of the roll, the lodging and adjudication of objections, and the submission of candidate nominations.

Municipal Councils serve a five-year term, after which elections must be held within 90 days. This 90-day window is calculated from the day following the previous local government elections.

The last Local Government Elections took place on 1 November 2021, so the current term of municipal councils will expire on 1 November 2026.

This means that the next local government elections must be scheduled between 2 November 2026 and 30 January 2027.

IEC LGE 2026 Readiness in Numbers

• 20–21 June 2026 – National voter registration weekend
• 260,205 – New voters registered between November 2025 and March 2026
• 132,092 – Registrations through the online self-service portal
• 128,113 – Registrations captured using voter management devices
• 4,305 – Wards finalised by the Municipal Demarcation Board (about 95% of wards nationally)
• 4 – Municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal with outstanding ward delimitation
• 209 – Parties operating at provincial, district or metro level
• 1 key requirement – Voters must be registered where they ordinarily live to vote in the local government elections run by the Electoral Commission of South Africa.

Parow Metro Police officers arrested a suspect on drug charges yesterday afternoon following a routine patrol in King Edward Street.

Metro Police spokesperson, Ruth Solomons, says the officers spotted two men sitting in a car and as members approached, one of the men exited the vehicle and dropped an object.

“The suspect kicked the object underneath the car before walking towards a nearby shop. The officers apprehended the suspect and recovered a bag of tik from under the vehicle.”

Solomons says the shop owner informed officers that the suspect had thrown a set of keys behind the counter.

“Upon further questioning, the suspect directed officers to a second vehicle, where they discovered a bag containing over R40 000 in cash, comprising three currencies: Rands, US Dollars, and Nigerian Naira.”

The suspect was arrested for dealing in drugs. Parow police will take over the investigation and the suspect will appear in court once charged.

The 26-year-old man accused of the murder of Nyanga ward councillor, Lazola Gungxe, has had previous trouble with the law. 

Asiphe Sesanti made his first court appearance on Monday, in connection with Gungxe’s February murder.  

The 48-year-old ward councillor was fatally shot outside a community hall in Gwayi Street on 3 February, after a community meeting.  

READ MORE: Political Parties Call for Urgent Investigation After ANC Councillor Gunned Down in Nyanga – Smile 90.4FM

Western Cape Provincial Police Commissioner, Thembisile Patekile, told media outside the Athlone Magistrates Court that Sesanti was arrested when he appeared in court for a different murder and attempted murder case last Friday.  

Patekile also noted that there was another case related to illegal firearm possession that he’s also been implicated in, which he said is the third incident involving the accused that he’s aware of.  

#sapsWC [IN COURT TODAY] A suspect accused of the murder of councillor Lazola Gungxe appeared in the Athlone Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 09/03. Gungxe, 48, was fatally shot on 03 February 2026 after a community meeting in the Nyanga/Crossroads area.

The accused, 26yr-old… pic.twitter.com/JUBJw4Eaon

— SA Police Service 🇿🇦 (@SAPoliceService) March 9, 2026

The National Prosecuting Authority confirmed that Sesanti returns to court on 24 March for a bail application. 

Members of the ANC also gathered outside the Athlone Magistrates Court in support of Gungxe’s family.  

ANC representative Ndithini Tyhido expressed concern, noting that Gungxe’s murder follows the murders of other public servants. 

 “The ANC is saying this in light of the number of other murders that have occured in Crossroads, ward 36, where more than five councillors would have been murdered with councillor Gungxe being the fifth one,” said Tyhido.  

He said the party wants the National Political Killings Task Team involved in the investigation to uncover the motive for the killings.  

“The ANC in the Dullah Omar Region is making a firm call that the police must leave no stone unturned… [It] should not matter who is involved, even if it were to be amongst us members of the ANC or members of the community, who are involved in the murder of these public servants,” said Tyhido.