After years of civic engagement were met with closed doors, deliberate disregard, and the systemic silencing of ratepayers’ voices, eThekwini Ratepayers Movement (ERPM) announced its entry into the local government election space as a registered political movement.

The movement’s Asad Gaffar said, “ERPM was not born in a boardroom or conjured for political convenience. It was forged in frustration, the legitimate, documented frustration of residents and ratepayers who watched the leadership of eThekwini Municipality, both political and administrative, repeatedly turn its back on the very people it is obligated to serve.”

Gaffar added, “We enter this election space with a clear and non-negotiable mandate, service delivery excellence for every person who lives in this metro, without exception. Not for the wealthy ratepayer only. Not for any single race, ideology, or suburb. For everyone.”

Also read: Efforts to raise voice of homeless in LGE 2026

In conclusion, Gaffar said, “The 2026 Local Government Elections represent a generational inflection point for eThekwini. Residents have the opportunity to reject the failed political status quo.”

Local Government Elections will be held on November 4, as announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

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