The elections are only three months away, yet our street poles remain suspiciously clean.
No smiling politicians staring down at us. No slogans promising a better tomorrow. Nobody knocking at the gate to ask what keeps us awake at night. What’s going on?

By now, election season usually makes itself impossible to ignore. There should be at least five or six politicians jostling for position on every pole, all smiling as though they are on a Colgate commercial, while people you have not seen in years suddenly appear in the ward, deeply concerned about your potholes.

A few parties have started a slow strip tease. The DA announced its mayoral candidate ages ago and ActionSA unveiled theirs last weekend. Others, it seems, are still deciding who gets to wear the candidate T-shirt.

Being selected as a candidate no longer necessarily guarantees a council seat, even in areas where one party once dominated. This election could produce a few surprises.

But while political parties worry about who gets onto the ballot, voters should think more carefully about what happens after election day.

For a start, particularly in some township and rural communities, we need to stop treating councillors like mini kings.

There is a strange culture that sometimes develops around elected representatives. A councillor acquires an unofficial entourage – the ‘amagidangoma’ who are always nearby and ready to defend every decision. Question the councillor and you have somehow offended the entire squad.

Yet watch what happens during party conferences and candidate selection. Politicians suddenly become experts in accountability. They scrutinise one another’s records, question leadership and demand answers. Where does all that enthusiasm go after the election? Residents should demand the same accountability going forward.

And we should stop giving councillors personal credit for every government project that arrives in a community. “Our councillor gave us electricity” and “Our councillor gave us this road.” No. Your government provided it, using public money.

A councillor may have lobbied for the project, helped resolve administrative problems or assisted with local employment processes. Give credit where it is due. But presenting basic government services as the councillor’s personal gift to the community creates a dangerous impression that councillors somehow own the resources they were elected to help oversee. They don’t. A councillor is a public representative, not a benefactor.

And as candidates eventually emerge, voters should look beyond party colours and campaign promises to something more fundamental: character.

A council seat is not holy water. It cannot cleanse a questionable track record. If someone lacks integrity before an election, comfortably associates with criminality or sees public office primarily as an opportunity for personal advancement, putting “councillor” before their name is unlikely to produce a miraculous transformation.

Political parties therefore have a responsibility too. Communities deserve candidates who are fit for public office, not simply those who are best at winning internal party battles.
One thing iLembe can be proud of is that our elections have generally been peaceful. May they remain so. No council seat, salary or political position is worth a life.

So, when those posters finally appear on our spotless poles, don’t be distracted by the smiles. Ask whether the candidate understands the ward. Ask what they have actually done. Ask what they can realistically achieve. Most importantly, ask what kind of person you are entrusting with public office.

Then, if they win, keep asking questions. Respect your councillor, certainly. Just don’t worship them.