Diepkloof meeting encourages smarter voting in 2026 local elections

Residents gathered at the Quacker Recreational Centre in Diepkloof for a community meeting hosted by the Joburg Crisis Alliance (JCA) on July 18.

During the meeting, the focus shifted from which political parties attendees would vote for to the issues that matter most to communities ahead of South Africa’s 2026 local government elections.

The non-partisan meeting formed part of JCA’s voter education campaign aimed at encouraging residents to become informed and active participants in the democratic process.

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JCA encouraged community members to identify the service delivery, governance and accountability issues they want elected leaders to address and to evaluate political representatives based on their ability to respond to community needs and deliver on their commitments, rather than voting solely out of party loyalty.

JCA coordinator Yunus Chamda said the meeting marked the sixth instalment of the organisation’s regional community meetings.

“Joburg has seven regions, and this is our sixth meeting. After this, we will have one more meeting to cover the whole of Joburg. We are here today to encourage residents to take a deeper look at how they make their election choices in the next elections.

“They will be going through a series of exercises looking at the qualities they expect from a councillor, mayor and political parties. JCA is non-partisan.

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“We do not promote any particular political party. Instead, we encourage residents to think carefully about their choices and, at the end of the meeting, we will have a good idea of the qualities this group of residents wants in their elected representatives,” said Chamda.

He added that once the final community meeting has been held, JCA will have a clearer understanding of what communities expect from the next local government.

“During our meetings, many residents have said they do not trust the process or political parties, which is understandable because many have participated in democracy since 1994 and have not seen much change in their communities.

“As JCA, we are trying to encourage residents to overcome that mistrust and participate in the elections. We live in a democracy, and those who participate will make the choices. That is why we encourage them to be active participants in the process.”

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Residents also raised concerns about how to hold elected representatives accountable after the elections.

“A big part of the work we do as JCA is holding leaders accountable, and we have done that since we were established in 2023. We have been putting pressure on the City of Joburg to improve accountability and transparency, and we will continue doing that. We received positive feedback from those who participated in the meetings, and we hope they will go on to spread the word.”

One of the residents and EFF Ward 27 chairperson, Thabiso Mollo, said the session was educational.

“Today I learnt the importance of taking responsibility as a resident in my area, irrespective of political affiliation. This means that if I see a blocked sewer, I have to report it and not wait for the councillor.

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“They also taught us that residents can approach the IEC and request to be election observers in the areas where they live.

“It is good to see so many young people here today because, in the past, many have been indifferent. A lot of them raised their hands when asked who was registered to vote, which was really impressive,” said Mollo.
The upcoming municipal elections will be held on November 4.