MEYERTON – Midvaal Local Municipality Mayor Peter Teixeira has urged residents not to become complacent at the polls, warning that every vote could determine the municipality’s political future.
Speaking to Ster outside the Meyerton Town Hall amid voting in the local government elections, Teixeira called on residents to continue supporting the DA, saying that although Midvaal has a strong track record, much work remains to be done.
He also highlighted growing pressure on the municipality’s infrastructure as people from neighbouring areas move to Midvaal in search of better living conditions and opportunities.
According to Teixeira, the municipality’s efforts to move residents from informal settlements into formal Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) houses have also attracted more people seeking a better life.
“The more houses we construct in Midvaal, the more people come. We move people out of shacks into proper RDP houses, and others move in because they see hope in this municipality,” he said.
He added that Midvaal could not shoulder the pressure alone, stressing the need for neighbouring municipalities to improve their services and infrastructure.
“We are not an island. We are part of Gauteng and South Africa. We love our people, and wherever we can help and uplift them, we will gladly do so. But we need other municipalities to work as well,” he said.
Turning to voter participation, Teixeira warned that some residents developed a sense of complacency, assuming the DA’s long-standing leadership in Midvaal meant victory was guaranteed.
He reminded voters that Midvaal had been under DA governance for more than 25 years and was among the party’s longest-serving municipalities.
“It’s important that we continue voting in Midvaal because there is voter complacency. People assume we have already won because we have been in government for over 25 years. But every vote counts,” he said.
He pointed to a previous ward result in which the DA lost by just four votes, saying a handful of residents choosing not to vote could make the difference.
Despite expressing confidence in his administration’s performance, Teixeira acknowledged that challenges remained.
He attributed the municipality’s performance to political will, accountability, transparency and consequence management.
The mayor also highlighted investment opportunities as one of Midvaal’s major strengths, pointing to a reported R2b investment by French company Soufflet, which is expected to supply malt to Heineken and create more than 1 000 job opportunities.
He further mentioned developments at the former South32 site, which he said were expected to generate between 3 000 and 4 000 employment opportunities.
Teixeira said attracting investors required more than promises, adding that businesses needed reliable water, electricity, sewerage infrastructure and properly maintained roads.
“We have an appetite to engage with potential investors and sell Midvaal as an investment destination. We have the services these companies need, and that is a major advantage,” he said.
He also cautioned residents against allowing Midvaal to fall into the coalition instability experienced in other municipalities.
“We don’t want to end up like Emfuleni and many other dysfunctional municipalities in South Africa. Let’s keep Midvaal away from coalition chaos,” he said.
