Archive image of uncollected litter outside a building in Khayelitsha.
On April 24, 2022, then DA Federal Council chairperson Helen Zille took to social media to defend her party's governance record, arguing that Cape Town's townships were better serviced than those elsewhere in South Africa and that the DA delivered more for poor communities than any other government in the country.
More than four years later, one of South Africa's Chapter Nine institutions has released findings that have reignited debate over those claims.
On July 7, 2026, the Public Protector released the findings of a four-year investigation into service delivery in Langa Flats and parts of Khayelitsha, concluding that the City of Cape Town had failed to progressively provide constitutionally required basic municipal services in the affected communities, which amountsto maladministration.
The report, titled Report No. 12 of 2026/27, found shortcomings relating to sanitation, municipal housing, infrastructure maintenance, high-mast lighting, refuse removal, sewer management, and safety measures at public health facilities.
