Residents in parts of South Africa are threatening to punish the African National Congress (ANC) at the November 4 local elections over years of poor electricity access, sewage problems and failing municipal services.
In Katlehong, a township on the outskirts of Johannesburg, about 180 households have depended on illegal electricity connections for more than two decades, prompting residents to threaten a boycott of the polls unless authorities address their grievances.
“We have made a collective decision: no electricity, no vote,” community leader Lesiba Rankapole, 59, said.
Residents have run cables from another part of the township to secure power, despite knowing the connections are illegal. Rankapole said the lack of proper electricity supply was affecting children’s ability to progress.
Another resident, Enock Majola, 57, said his frustration with living conditions had eroded his loyalty to the ANC, which has governed the area through its municipal structures.
“I was born ANC, but today I do not want anyone to tell me about the ANC because I am suffering,” he said, pointing to illegal rubbish-dumping sites.
Dissatisfaction extends beyond electricity. In other parts of the country, complaints against ANC-led municipalities include unreliable water supplies, poor refuse collection, sewage failures, corruption and mismanagement.
In Katlehong, Meshack Twala was attempting to reach a blocked pipe at a property surrounded by sewage when he questioned the value of voting amid persistent sanitation problems on his street. He said, however, that he would still choose the ANC if he went to the polling station.
The growing discontent comes as the party faces a prolonged decline in electoral support. Once dominant in South African politics, the ANC secured nearly 70 per cent of the national vote in 2004 but fell to 46 per cent at the 2021 municipal elections.
Its share dropped to just above 40 per cent in the 2024 national election, forcing it into a coalition government.
The weakening of the party has created opportunities for rivals, including the uMkhonto weSizwe Party, led by former president Jacob Zuma, which is entering local elections for the first time.
Johannesburg, home to more than 4.8 million people, is among the major battlegrounds in the contest for control of 257 municipal councils. The city’s service-delivery problems have become a central issue for opposition parties seeking to dislodge the ANC.
In Alexandra township, where Johannesburg’s wealth contrasts sharply with deteriorating neighbourhood conditions, maintenance worker Patrick Saohatse, 45, said years of ANC rule had brought little improvement. He plans to vote for the Democratic Alliance (DA), the second-largest party in the national coalition.
The DA, which governs Cape Town, has made municipal service failures and alleged mismanagement central to its campaign. Its Johannesburg mayoral candidate, Helen Zille, has warned that continued corruption and deteriorating infrastructure could further damage the city.
The ANC had yet to select its Johannesburg mayoral candidate less than two weeks before the election, according to the report. Its head of elections, Mdumiseni Ntuli, acknowledged public dissatisfaction but urged voters to continue supporting the party.
“We have made mistakes and accepted our shortcomings, but ANC remains a better option for people,” Ntuli told AFP.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba, who is seeking another term as Johannesburg mayor, also criticised irregular refuse collection and streets without adequate lighting.
The local elections will test whether frustration over basic services translates into lost votes for the ANC and greater support for opposition parties. Political analyst Matebesi predicted that no party would secure an outright majority, leaving coalition negotiations and hung councils central to the post-election landscape.
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