Water cuts and poor services at heart of Johannesburg municipal election
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on RFI
South African voters go to the polls on 4 November to elect municipal councils, with the running of Johannesburg a key issue. The city has seen repeated changes of mayor, water cuts and deteriorating public services, RFI reports.
Water cuts and deteriorating public services dominate the campaign for Johannesburg’s municipal elections, with South African voters set to go to the polls on Wednesday 4 November. RFI reports that residents have protested in recent weeks against dry taps in several neighbourhoods. In Melville, Angy Hammond says she has had no running water since 18 October, her daughter’s birthday.
The problems also affect roads, waste collection and electricity infrastructure. Yunus Chamda, coordinator of the Joburg Crisis Alliance, a civil society coalition focused on governance and corruption, believes the city will continue to decline unless it resolves its financial problems. Several libraries, swimming pools and museums are closed or run-down, according to RFI.
Johannesburg, South Africa’s largest and wealthiest city, has cash reserves for only about two weeks of operations. The municipality has also recently been criticised over financial irregularities. The Democratic Alliance, led by Helen Zille, and Action SA, whose leader Herman Mashaba is a former mayor, are seeking to take control of the city from the ANC.
These issues add to uncertainty over political alliances: polls on the Johannesburg coalition published on 2 November did not indicate which coalition might govern the city. South African parties held their final rallies before the municipal elections, scheduled for 4 November.
