With the November 4 local government elections just 17 days away, representatives of seven political parties have identified poor accountability, inadequate service delivery and broken promises as factors contributing to voter apathy in eThekwini.
The concerns emerged during a National Media Group election dialogue at KZN Media House, in Greyville, Durban, moderated by University of KwaZulu-Natal political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu. Participants represented ActionSA, the ANC, DA, EFF, IFP, MK Party and Minority Front.
EFF mayoral candidate Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi called for underperforming councillors to face criminal charges, saying residents had complained about councillors being unavailable and failing to hold quarterly public meetings.
Minority Front leader Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi also criticised poor communication between councillors and communities. Citing an assessment covering October to December 2025, she said 65 of eThekwini’s 111 wards had been classified as non-functional, with the absence of community meetings among the reasons.
ActionSA’s Zwakele Mncwango said his party was committed to transparency, ethical governance and improving municipal performance so residents could see tangible results.
However, he criticised the DA’s participation in government with the ANC, arguing that this contradicted the original purpose of the Multi-Party Charter, previously known as the Moonshot Pact, which sought to unseat the governing party.
DA mayoral candidate Haniff Hoosen said voters had lost faith in the electoral system because politicians’ lives improved while those of ordinary residents did not. He argued that eThekwini needed new leadership to address the problems he attributed to the ANC-led administration.
Mayor Cyril Xaba defended the ANC’s record, saying the municipality had made significant improvements over the past five years, including attracting investment. He said reported water leaks had fallen from 13 000 to about 3000.
Xaba also challenged perceptions about municipal water losses, explaining that some water classified as non-revenue water was supplied to indigent households without payment rather than being lost through leaks.
MK Party provincial team member Professor Thamsanqa Mkhize pledged that his party would prioritise transparency, accountability and ageing infrastructure if it gained control of the municipality.
IFP representative Selvan Govender attributed voter apathy to residents’ frustration over limited improvements and unfulfilled promises. He pointed to the party’s participation in KwaZulu-Natal’s Government of Provincial Unity as evidence of its governing experience.
Proposals to boost participation
As part of efforts to address voter apathy, Mkhaliphi said the EFF had introduced a Bill in Parliament proposing automatic voter registration for citizens upon turning 18. She also called for national and local government elections to be held together.
Ndlovu supported automatic registration, arguing that resources spent on voter registration campaigns could instead fund voter education. He cited the 11 million registered voters who did not vote in the 2024 general election as evidence of the need to rethink voter mobilisation.