POLOKWANE – With just over a month to go before the November 4 local government election, 37 political formations are contesting in Polokwane, alongside independent candidates in several wards.

Water shortages, unreliable electricity, deteriorating roads, unemployment and municipal mismanagement are among the issues dominating political campaigning.

A comparison of the 2026 manifestos of several of the country’s largest political parties shows that, despite major ideological differences between the parties, many of their campaign priorities overlap.

For voters trying to make sense of it all, here is a breakdown of what the major parties are promising.

The ANC: Get the basics working

The ANC’s manifesto is built around a ‘first 100 days’ plan called the Masakhe programme.

The party promises that within 100 days in every ward, ANC-led municipalities will repair streetlights, repair potholes, stop water leaks and sewer spills, clear illegal dumping sites, unblock stormwater drains, and cut overgrown vegetation.

Every ANC mayor will hold an opening Community Imbizo and publish a State of the Municipality Report within 60 days, detailing what is working and what isn’t, along with a costed recovery plan.

The party also promises to establish local economic development one-stop desks, pay compliant suppliers within 30 days, and blacklist those who don’t deliver.

At the provincial manifesto launch at the Peter Mokaba Stadium, ANC spokesperson Ernest Rachoene said the party is prioritising water, roads, and unemployment. He claimed the provincial government has upgraded more than 43 gravel roads to tar over the past two years and is actively working on water projects in Mopani and other districts.

Key Polokwane promise: The incumbent mayor, Makoro John Mpe, is seeking re-election. He has highlighted achievements including the Seshego Hybrid Water Treatment Plant, the expansion of the University of Limpopo to the Paledi Mall corridor, and the building of sports complexes in communities.

The DA: Private sector to the rescue

The DA’s central promise is to bring private-sector companies into the delivery of basic services like water and electricity. The party argues this will secure reliable water in residents’ taps.

The DA says it will implement competitive tendering for services like water supply and purchase power from independent producers. It insists this is not privatisation as municipalities will retain policy, tariff-setting, and oversight control.

Another key pledge: ring-fencing revenue from water and electricity bills so that money is reinvested in infrastructure and not used to cross-subsidise operating costs such as ‘mayoral staff, fancy cars, business-class travel and catering’.

The party also promises to end cadre deployment and ensure municipal jobs go to people who can do the work, not the politically connected.

The DA says its plan will be rolled out to all municipalities it governs after the polls.

The EFF: Victory or death

The EFF launched its national manifesto in Thohoyandou, with leader Julius Malema declaring that “victory is certain”. The party’s Polokwane mayoral candidate is Limpopo chairperson Makgabo Lawrence Mapoulo, who previously led the council during Cassel Mathale’s term as premier.

The EFF’s manifesto focuses on poor households and free basic services. The party promises to automatically register all qualifying Sassa grant recipients and indigent households within 90 days of taking office, removing administrative barriers that prevent eligible households from accessing support.

The party also promises to provide free basic water, electricity, sanitation, and refuse removal to all indigent households, including those in informal settlements, backyard dwellings, and rural communities. It will write off historical debt owed by indigent households and end punitive service disconnections.

On land, the EFF promises to use expropriation powers to acquire abandoned land and buildings for youth agriculture and business activities, and to allocate between 5% and 10% of redistributed land specifically for persons with disabilities.

BOSA: Competent people who won’t steal

Build One South Africa, led by Mmusi Maimane, launched its Limpopo campaign at Botlokwa outside Polokwane in September, introducing nine candidates for municipalities in the province.

BOSA’s message is centred on competence and accountability. Maimane said: “No municipality can run unless it has competence. We are bringing people of stature who won’t wake up and steal money through projects that have been happening here”.

The party promises to build municipalities that “put people before politics, appoint skilled professionals, spend public money responsibly and hold leaders accountable for measurable results.”

BOSA is contesting 24 municipalities across five provinces, including in Mopani, Greater Letaba, and other Limpopo areas.

Other parties to watch

ActionSA has withdrawn Thapelo Molepo as its Polokwane mayoral candidate in what it called a “strategic realignment”. However, the party has made restoring basic services a central part of its platform, including reliable water, electricity, sanitation, refuse collection and road maintenance.

The Patriotic Alliance, MK Party, Rise Mzansi, COPE, ACDP, FF Plus, SACP, and many others are also contesting in Polokwane.

Independent candidates are running in Wards 30, 31, 34, and 40.

What this means for voters

The manifestos offer voters a clear choice on the role of the private sector (DA), the expansion of free basic services (EFF), and the ANC’s promise to fix the basics within 100 days.