JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA — On Tuesday, Johannesburg residents were fed up with potholes, water shortages, crime and high unemployment, the day before municipal elections. Garbage-filled streets in the city clashed with colourful party posters of rival political parties.
Political analyst Professor Sipho Seepe pointed out that fancy campaign promises would do little to distract people from their experiences with deteriorating institutions. “No matter how intense your campaign is going to be, there is nothing that is going to take away the people’s experience with the potholes. There is nothing that is going to take away the experience of water shortage, dilapidation and that Joburg has become a den of crime,” Seepe said.
Economic challenges still take precedence among the city’s youth. The youth emphasised the importance of job vacancies; one of the voters expressed his desire for political change after years of poor governance: “We need change. No more ANC, maybe DA, something…that will move the country in the right direction.”
The municipal elections will again present a crucial challenge for the ruling African National Congress, which recently ceded its parliamentary majority in 2024 after winning 40.18 per cent of the vote in the country’s polls. About 29.2 million registered voters are eligible to vote on Wednesday, with 23,696 voting points nationwide, 546 political parties, and 136,790 candidates vying for 10,500 seats.
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