Against the background of South Africa's service delivery crisis, voters should be driven by pragmatism when they decide who to vote for in the upcoming Local Government Elections. The time for party loyalty or partisanship is gone, says the writer.
Prof. Bheki Mngomezulu
The date of the 2026 Local Government Election (LGE) is set for November 4, 2026. Political parties have started their campaigns. As has been the case in previous elections, new political parties have been established.
Traditionally, political parties spend a lot of money crafting election manifestos which they then present to the electorate. Unfortunately, after the elections, these parties never come back to the voters to give them feedback on what they have been able to do and where they have failed. Service delivery cries fall on deaf ears.
The irony is that people keep on voting for the same political parties or individuals who promised them services but never delivered. This trend has continued unabated for years. As a result, many politicians have embraced this practice as a norm since it has worked for them.
