The Democratic Alliance's (DA) mayoral candidate in Emfuleni municipality, Kingsol Chabalala, has expressed confidence that his party will unseat the African National Congress (ANC) in the upcoming local government elections. After casting his vote, Chabalala stated that his vote signaled the beginning of the end of what he described as years of chaos, poor governance, and failing service delivery in Emfuleni. He emphasized that residents deserved a municipality that worked for all communities.
Chabalala accused the ANC of failing residents by neglecting basic services and allowing conditions in the municipality to deteriorate. He stated that the ANC had "scandalised" the municipality, failing to render even the most basic services. Chabalala's vote, he said, was the first step in ensuring that from November 5, the municipality would be fixed and serve all communities. He outlined that a DA-led administration's priority would be stabilizing municipal finances and assessing the municipality's financial position.
A DA-led administration would focus on protecting the financial resources of the municipality, Chabalala said. Within the first 100 days, the party would establish the municipality's cash flow and review infrastructure projects to determine why many communities continued to struggle with poor service delivery. This, he explained, would inform the party's approach to addressing service delivery challenges. Chabalala also mentioned that the municipality's staffing capacity would come under review through an audit.
Residents in Emfuleni have consistently raised concerns about lack of water, poor roads, and difficulties obtaining proof of residence documents, Chabalala noted. He promised that the DA would ensure ward councillors were held accountable and that communities did not struggle to get proof of residence. The DA's campaign, he said, had been warmly received and supported by residents, who were ready for change.
A visit to four voting stations in Emfuleni revealed service delivery challenges, with pothole-riddled roads, sewage flowing through streets, and illegal dumping along roads. Unemployment emerged as a key concern, with young people gathered outside spaza shops and residents calling for a government that would create jobs and improve living conditions. Many voters expressed frustration with poor service delivery and hoped the incoming administration would address long-standing problems.
Despite these challenges, Chabalala expressed confidence that voters were ready for change and predicted a strong performance for the DA. He dismissed the prospect of coalition talks, insisting that the party's focus was on securing a governing majority. Chabalala stated that coalitions were not in the DA's vocabulary, and the party was not thinking about coalitions.
Key points
- The DA's mayoral candidate, Kingsol Chabalala, is confident that his party will unseat the ANC in Emfuleni.
- Chabalala has outlined plans to address service delivery challenges, including stabilizing municipal finances and reviewing infrastructure projects.
- The DA's campaign has been well-received by residents, who are eager for change and a better future for their community.
