Dolphin Coast residents have been urged to treat the upcoming local government election as a “non-negotiable community emergency.”

That was the message at a public election information meeting hosted by the Dolphin Coast Residents and Ratepayers Association (Docrra) at Salt Rock Country Club on Wednesday.

Docrra chief operations officer Mary Kassam said only 32.5% of eligible residents voted in the 2021 local government elections, leaving a council elected by less than a third of the population to make decisions affecting service delivery, municipal finances and infrastructure.

“We have plenty to complain about when it comes to our municipality, from potholes to broken streetlights and electricity outages,” she said.

“We didn’t show up in 2021, and we’ve been paying for that for the last five years.”

The registration deadline for the November 4 election was last Friday.

Kassam stressed that Docrra is apolitical and will not endorse any party or candidate.

“If we are serious about change, we must approach registration and turnout on election day as a non-negotiable community emergency,” she said.

She also outlined changes to several voting districts and stations following municipal boundary adjustments, including new voting stations in Ballito and Salt Rock.

Residents will receive three ballot papers – for their ward councillor, KwaDukuza municipality and iLembe district municipality.

Kassam said the next iLembe District council would make important decisions, including whether the Siza Water concession agreement continues after it expires in 2029.

“We would certainly want to see that concession live on into the future so that we can continue to enjoy the levels of service that we have become accustomed to,” she said.

KwaDukuza Residents Forum chairperson Warwick Chapman described the November election as the most significant local government poll since 1994, saying South Africa’s changing political landscape meant coalition governments were likely to become the norm.

He warned that low turnout could result in unstable coalitions in which small parties wield disproportionate influence.

Using simulations based on previous voting patterns, Chapman said significantly higher turnout in KwaDukuza’s three southern wards could influence the balance of power in the municipality.

Chapman urged residents to see the election as more than a choice of ward councillor, saying every ballot would help determine who governs the municipality for the next five years.

“We have an opportunity and it is genuinely within our power to influence the outcome of this election,” he said.