eThekwini election dialogue highlights broken promises and ward failures

With local government elections approaching in eThekwini, seven political parties identified poor accountability, inadequate service delivery, and broken promises as reasons for voter disinterest. The National Media Group facilitated an election dialogue at KZN Media House in Durban, where representatives from ActionSA, the ANC, DA, EFF, IFP, MK Party and Minority Front discussed the issues.

EFF mayoral candidate Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi proposed criminal charges for underperforming councillors, citing complaints about their unavailability and refusal to hold quarterly public meetings. Minority Front leader Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi criticized the lack of communication between councillors and residents. An assessment revealed that 65 of the 111 wards were classified as non-functional due to the absence of community meetings.

ActionSA's Zwakele Mncwango emphasized his party's commitment to transparency, ethical governance, and improved municipal performance. However, he criticized the DA's involvement in government with the ANC, arguing it contradicted the Multi-Party Charter's original goal of unseating the governing party. DA mayoral candidate Haniff Hoosen blamed voter disenchantment on politicians' personal gains while residents' conditions remained unchanged, advocating for new leadership to address the issues he attributed to the ANC-led administration.

Mayor Cyril Xaba defended the ANC's accomplishments, mentioning infrastructure improvements and reduced water leaks. He clarified that some classified water losses were provided to low-income households for essential use. MK Party's Professor Thamsanqa Mkhize pledged focus on transparency, accountability, and aging infrastructure if his party took control.

IFP's Selvan Govender attributed voter apathy to residents' frustration over minimal progress and unmet promises, highlighting the party's experience in KwaZulu-Natal's Government of Provincial Unity.

Mkhaliphi announced the EFF's proposal for automatic voter registration for 18-year-olds and combining national and local elections. Ndlovu supported this idea, suggesting that resources currently spent on voter registration campaigns could be allocated to voter education, as evidenced by the 11 million registered voters who did not participate in the 2024 general election.