From the right to vote to concerns about corruption and service delivery, residents of Harveston Retirement Village in Honeydew Manor have shared what they want to see change ahead of the November 4 local government elections.

For Elaine Persona, voting is both a privilege and a responsibility that residents should not take for granted.

“It’s no good staying at home and complaining if you’re not the one going out voting,” she said.

Persona said South Africans had fought hard for the right to vote, particularly women, and encouraged residents to exercise that right. “A vote is a privilege, and we should use it,” she said.

She added that local government elections were particularly important because municipal decisions affected residents’ daily lives.

“Specifically for local elections, it’s the sort of thing that affects us day to day. The potholes that we all talk about, the traffic lights, the corruption. We have to try and stop it.”

Fellow resident Diana Smith said people should remember that not everyone enjoyed the same circumstances as those living in the retirement village.

“You know, we’re privileged where we’re staying. So sometimes you don’t remember how the people outside live,” she said.

Smith expressed concern about corruption and people prioritising themselves and their associates instead of serving the wider community.

“If there’s not so much corruption and everybody looking after themselves and their family and friends, we will be in a much better situation,” she said.

She also pointed to potholes and areas without water as problems requiring attention. “But we must change the situation. So we must vote.”

For Graham Elliot, chairperson of the village, the need for change is visible on the roads around the community.

Elliot, who has lived at the village with his wife for 15 years, said his experience managing maintenance projects had taught him the importance of planning and following through.

“When you drive out of our village, you start to experience urban decay. There are three potholes before you reach the stop sign,” he said.

He also highlighted damaged road surfaces along Paul Kruger Drive and Christiaan de Wet Drive, as well as traffic lights near the top of John Vorster Drive that he said were not working.

“People of Ward 97 need to get to the polls and cast your vote on November 4,” Elliot said.

He also expressed concern about the negotiations that could follow the elections if parties struggled to secure a majority.

“We need some form of maturity in coalitions, that parties can meet and achieve some form of agreement on how to move forward,” he said.

His fellow resident Ian van Aswegen believes voters should focus on the services they expect from their elected representatives.

“The elections on the 4th are not about party politics – it is about voting for someone who will ensure that our streets, our water, our lights, and our refuse collection service get improved,” he said. “Don’t sit at home and complain. Go and vote.”

Rosemary Swemmer also encouraged residents to exercise their voting rights, thanking the teams that helped village residents register and apply for special votes. “Voting is my right and a privilege,” she said.

“This year I will vote for the change I wish to see! I encourage everyone to go out and vote … use it, don’t abuse it!”

Alan Hill shared a different perspective on how residents should approach their choices at the ballot box.

“If you want change, which we all know is desperately needed, then vote with your brains and not with your heart,” he said.

Hill argued that voters should consider the level of support political parties receive and expressed support for a party he believes can save the country, although he did not identify it.

Despite their differing views on political choices, the residents highlighted the importance of participation and accountability, urging voters to consider the future of their communities when they head to the polls.