As the 4 November local government elections approach, South Africans are being encouraged to focus on local issues that affect their daily lives. According to My Vote Counts, a local NGO, voters and political parties often end up having the wrong conversation, with many parties still to release their manifestos or offering only statements of intent.
My Vote Counts has been reviewing party manifestos and promises ahead of the polls, comparing what communities say they need with the promises made by the ANC, DA, EFF, and ActionSA. The organisation's Project Lead for Democracy from Below, Keamogetsoe Seipato, says many of the commitments are "shopping lists of promises that have been carried over year after year" with no concrete plans explaining how they will be delivered.
One of the problems, according to Seipato, is that many South Africans are not distinguishing between who they vote for in national elections and who they vote for at the municipal level. This means voters tend to focus on national political personalities when they should be scrutinising the people responsible for services much closer to home, such as the provision of tar roads, water, electricity, sanitation, and rubbish collection.
Seipato described the situation as one where "when we're supposed to be talking about Davos, we're talking about the tar. When we're supposed to be talking about the tar road, we talk about Davos." She suggested that what a political party says in its manifesto or on social media does not necessarily translate into better living conditions for voters.
To effectively use elections to hold the right people accountable, voters need to better understand the different levels of government. Seipato emphasised that on 4 November, voters will be focusing on who is responsible for services in their local area, such as the provision of tar roads, rather than national issues.
The confusion between national and local issues works both ways, with local service delivery often dominating national elections. Seipato urged voters to engage with political parties and demand concrete plans for service delivery, rather than just statements of intent.
Ultimately, the local government elections will provide voters with an opportunity to hold their local representatives accountable for the services they provide. By focusing on local issues and demanding concrete plans from political parties, voters can help ensure that their needs are met and that their voices are heard.
Key points
- Voters need to distinguish between national and local issues ahead of the 4 November local government elections.
- Many political parties have yet to release their manifestos or offer concrete plans for service delivery.
- Voters should focus on local issues such as potholes, water, electricity, sanitation, and rubbish collection when making their decisions.
