Political party posters have taken over streetlights, poles and roadside spaces across Mbombela as parties and independent candidates campaign ahead of the November 4 local government elections.

The posters carry messages promising change, improved service delivery and better governance as parties seek control of the City of Mbombela (CoM), currently governed by the ANC.

Candidates line up across 45 wards

According to candidate figures supplied by the IEC, 24 political parties and 10 independent candidates are contesting the elections across the CoM’s 45 wards.

The ANC has 45 municipal candidates, closely followed by the DA with 44. The African Transformation Movement has 31 candidates, Mbombela Yebahlali Residence 25 and the African People’s Convention 22.

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Other parties include the United Residents Front with 18 candidates, Barberton Community Party with 17, South African Communist Party with 16, VF Plus with 11 and African Christian Democratic Party with 10.

Other parties contesting the municipality include ActionSA, the Afrika Mayibuye Movement, National Freedom Party, Organic Humanity Movement, Patriotic Alliance, Service Delivery Party, Sizwe Ummah Nation, Labour Party of South Africa, Inkatha Freedom Party, Pan Africanist Congress of Azania, United Africans Transformation and Gods Justice and Development Party.

Campaign slogans promise service delivery

Parties are using a variety of slogans to attract voters. The ANC’s message is ‘Let’s Continue Building Better Communities Together’, while ActionSA promotes ‘Gatvol? Let us fix it!’

The DA’s campaign slogan is ‘Stop the Chaos. Start Service Delivery’, while the VF Plus uses ‘It is our time’. The Afrika Mayibuye Movement’s slogan is ‘Total Freedom and Emancipation Now!’

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The uMkhonto weSizwe Party has titled its 2026 local government election manifesto ‘The People’s Mandate’, while the EFF has displayed the slogan ‘Victory or Death’.

The election will determine who represents residents in the municipal council and which political grouping will lead the municipality for the next term.