Remember, Remember the 4th of November

For the first time in democratic South Africa, local government elections have attracted as much attention as the national polls. The elections announced for 4 November will have a consequential impact on our body politic as municipal polls often project how national elections will turn out. Three campaign platforms have so far risen to the top which any party seeking to maximise its voter share will have to emulate: Water, Illegal Immigration and RDP houses. This is indicative of mayoral candidates swimming in overstretched potholes, widespread protests in metro centres across the country and government handing out of title deeds. Of course, education, gender-based violence (GBV) and child nutrition remain important issues. However, the inconsistent water supply, crime and unfair labour competition from undocumented immigrants and the unfulfilled promise of decent housing, have crystallised local demands and given parties a framework to work with in their attempts to garner votes. While there is growing criticism over the increasing number of new political parties, 32 years into the post-apartheid South Africa, the country is still experimenting with the democratic system. New parties often result in new ideas and new entrants into politics although the result is fragmentation of talent. However, these upcoming local elections set for 4 November have experienced presidential level candidates contesting for mayoral positions. The Democratic Alliance’s Helen Zille and ActionSA’s Herman Mashaba have emerged as front runners in the battle for the most sought after top seat in the city of Johannesburg. Service delivery or the lack thereof has significantly impacted households, the cost of living and the running business. It is at the local municipal level where national policy faces hurdles in implementation. Politicians have realised that while it may take over five years to pass a bill in parliament, local issues can be fixed through the deployment of by-laws, m