In roughly six months, Johannesburg residents will head to the polls in local government elections that will shape service delivery for the next five years.

Alexandra residents, long frustrated by poor service delivery, said active participation in this year’s local government elections is critically important. This emerged during a Joburg Crisis Alliance (JCA) community meeting at the Altrec Sports Complex on Saturday.

Read more: Mahauzana flats residents move toward legal electricity supply

The non-partisan civic movement encouraged residents not to dictate votes, but to deliberate on what they should demand from those seeking office.

An Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) representative urged attendees to register to vote, emphasising that the central message is that people should vote for better service delivery.

Residents spoke openly about service delivery in their community, honestly reflecting on its strengths and weaknesses and identifying what needs to change.

Yunus Chamda, JCA coordinator, expressed optimism about the strong turnout, particularly among young people, who led most of the group report-backs.

“They are beginning to think about local government, ward councillors, the mayor, and what they expect from political parties,” Chamda said.

He stressed that youth participation was crucial, especially given the growing voter apathy among young people. This was recently underscored by the low youth turnout in the national elections, according to the 2024 National and Provincial Elections report.

Also read: Residents against city’s legacy project at George Lea Park

“Many young people are disillusioned because they think, ‘Why should the youth participate? We are not going to make any change. The older generation is going to decide anyway.’ But that is not true,” Chamda emphasised.

With young people forming the majority in Alexandra, Chamda said their participation could decisively influence outcomes and usher in more responsive leadership.

During the breakaway sessions, various groups deliberated on key questions related to local government. The discussions highlighted not only the daily challenges residents face, but also the issues they want officials to address.

According to Chamda, this process better equips residents to question political parties on critical service delivery matters such as waste collection, sanitation, electricity, water supply, safety, and road maintenance.

JCA’s mini-survey of about 40 attendees revealed dissatisfaction with the provision of these services in Alexandra.

In response, the survey recommended strengthening community engagement initiatives, improving municipal communication, and expanding civic education programmes.

Such programmes, according to resident Khuliso Monyai, equip the electorate with essential knowledge.

“The meeting was very informative because some of us did not know who we should report our issues to specifically,” Monyai said.

One group presentation effectively illustrated the often-misunderstood intermediary role of ward councillors, empowering residents to hold their representatives accountable.

“We would love the people of Alex and community organisations to continue with these exercises. Let’s talk about the elections,” Chamda said.

Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration!