Water, electricity failures dominate voters’ concerns across South Africa

Residents collect water from a tanker in oThongathi, KwaZulu-Natal. Water shortages and unreliable municipal services were among the main concerns raised by voters across South Africa during Wednesday’s local government elections.

Water and electricity outages were among the main concerns raised by South Africans voting in yesterday’s local government elections, with residents calling on incoming councillors to repair failing infrastructure and improve basic services.

From Cape Town to Johannesburg and Durban, voters described days without running water, lengthy power interruptions and roads left in disrepair. Some said repeated elections had brought little change to their neighbourhoods, while others wanted clearer communication from municipalities when essential services failed.

In Kraaifontein in the Western Cape, Edward Feltman, 69, said he had voted since the country’s first democratic election in 1994 but was still waiting for services to improve.

“When power goes off, it takes days. When water goes off, it takes three, four days,” he said.

Feltman said electricity interruptions in his area had recently lasted 13 to 16 hours. Residents were not always warned of outages, while complaints about dirty streets and neglected open spaces went unanswered.

“The only time we really see our leaders is when it comes time to vote again.” 

He said infighting among political parties was distracting councillors from the problems residents faced.

“Take your hands out of your pocket. Look around and see what is really needed.”

In Midrand, Gauteng, a voter who gave only her first name, Thembi, said her area was still without water on election day. Finding out which party ran the municipality had influenced how she cast her ballot.

“Let’s hope the people that we voted for will bring the change that we want,” she said.

Water and electricity interruptions were also on the mind of Johan Jacobs, 32, from Fochville on the West Rand.

“Let’s hope they bring back the water, less electricity interruptions,” he said, adding that potholes needed to be fixed.

Jacobs said he had not seen changes that made a significant difference to his family and wanted improvements that residents could notice.

For Durban North voter Lindi Britz, restoring infrastructure was only part of the job. She wanted consistent communication with residents when supplies were interrupted.

Britz said people in her neighbourhood were generally notified when water or electricity went off, but she wanted the same standard of communication across eThekwini. Refuse collection, safe streets and road maintenance were also priorities.

“I think it is going to be quite tough in the first year because there’s a lot to fix. As long as they prioritise the important things and get everything going, I think that’s what we expect,” she said.

Sivan Govender, who works in property in Durban and Johannesburg, said unreliable services were hurting businesses and discouraging investment.

He said weak local government was affecting property values and business confidence, recalling that buildings linked to a Johannesburg property company had been without power for 57 days.

“If we think electricity was a big issue, water is a bigger disaster waiting to happen,” he said.

He said the deterioration had unfolded over more than two decades and questioned whether some municipalities were appointing suitably skilled people and competent contractors to deal with persistent faults.

Former eThekwini deputy mayor Fawzia Peer acknowledged that ageing pipes were a major obstacle but said replacing them was expensive and could not happen overnight.

“The ageing pipes will take a long time; it’s a huge challenge. And we don’t have that amount of funds to rectify this.”

Peer said municipalities had to fund housing and stormwater systems alongside water infrastructure, while repairing one section of an ageing pipe could cause another to burst under pressure.

She defended eThekwini’s efforts to address the problem, saying the municipality was “doing quite well” despite the challenges.

University of KwaZulu-Natal political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu said voters should judge parties on issues including water shortages, potholes and crime, but argued that personal loyalty and identity still influenced many decisions.

He pointed to people who supported former president Jacob Zuma and the MK Party, as well as voters who remained loyal to the ANC despite concerns over municipal performance.

“It’s about choosing the right leaders to take the country forward,” Ndlovu said.

First-time voter Onthatile Makhubedu, 18, from Silver Lakes in Pretoria, said South Africa had the resources to improve living conditions but needed better leadership.

“We really need to start to be the change that we want to see in the country,” she said.