eThekwini voters must judge parties by their record, not their promises
From disputed water bills and major water losses to outages, beach closures and weak ward structures, eThekwini voters have a record to examine before casting their ballots.
When polling day arrives in eThekwini, voters must evaluate political parties based on their demonstrated performance, not on empty campaign pledges. During an IOL mayoral debate, opposition speakers highlighted astronomical water bills in affluent suburbs like Chatsworth and Verulam, raising concerns about transparency and accountability.
Residents recounted firsthand experiences reading inflated water and electricity accounts, struggling to understand the charges, and finding municipal staff inadequate in explaining them. The debate underscored the urgent need for permanent meter readers and a transition to smart meters to eliminate estimated readings. The city is estimated to lose 58.7% of its treated water, costing R2.92 billion annually, a figure that has more than doubled in recent years.
Power outages and beach closures due to high E. coli levels also exposed the city's shortcomings in infrastructure maintenance and emergency preparedness. Despite clean audit findings, the city's security director stated that land invasions are nearly daily, and a 70-person staff unit is woefully inadequate. Residents questioned the council's readiness during crises, pointing to the aftermath of a tornado that killed 12 people, a bill exceeding R480 million.
They demanded answers on the city's capacity to deliver on promises, scrutinizing each party's track record in infrastructure maintenance, emergency response, and accountability. The mayoral candidates from various parties vowed to address these issues, but voters must ask where they stood when problems arose and whether they remain committed to solutions.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
