local government elections
Zainul Dawood|Published
Some of the prospective mayoral candidates in eThekwini Municipality presented their plans for the 2026 Local Government Elections at IOL’s 2026 Town Hall Debate on Wednesday.
eThekwini’s water crisis, persistent sewage problems, electricity disruptions and questions over municipal finances are among the issues facing mayoral candidates in the run-up to the elections. Sixty-nine political parties are contesting for the hot seat in eThekwini.
The candidates and party representatives addressed concerns about service delivery and the maintenance of basic services. This included water shortages, burst pipes, sewage spills, refuse collection problems and deteriorating roads, which have placed pressure on communities, while infrastructure failures continue to raise questions about the municipality’s ability to maintain essential services.
Political parties have their say
The challenges extend beyond service interruptions. Billing disputes, faulty or estimated meter readings and difficulties resolving municipal account queries have added to ratepayers’ frustrations.
Asad Gaffar, Ethekwini Ratepayers Political Movement (ERPM), said they entered the public sphere five years ago and decided to register to contest in the elections to represent the ratepayers and fix the system from the inside.
Thabani Nyawose, chairperson of the ANC in the eThekwini Region and Mayoral candidate, said the ANC was the governing party in eThekwini.
“We have done a lot for the people. They appreciate what we have done. They raised some challenges where we did not meet their expectations. We will continue to deliver quality services to the people. Improve and do better. We have invested money to address water infrastructure in eThekwini,” he said.
Divergent views
Councillor Alicia Kissoon, representing the DA and also the DA eThekwini caucus chairperson, said eThekwini should be the jewel of the South African coastline. She said uncollected debt amounted to R50 billion and there was unauthorised, irregular, fruitless and wasteful expenditure; taps were running dry. She said the DA did not hold any committee chairperson positions and was in opposition.
“We are tired of being the opposition. Where we have governed in other parts of the country, we have turned around municipalities,” she said.
Shameen Thakur-Rajbansi, leader of the Minority Front, said her party has over 30 years of experience in servicing the communities of eThekwini and KwaZulu-Natal.
“With our experience, we now wish to serve residents of eThekwini. The budget is tripled. We will execute the budget well when I become Mayor," she said.
Hlengiwe Octavia Mkhaliphi, EFF eThekwini Mayoral Candidate, said there needed to be long-term solutions for service delivery. She was aware that there is a water and electricity crisis and poor road infrastructure.
Town Hall Debate
The debate comes as political parties prepare to contest control of eThekwini, with the ANC facing a significant challenge from the MK Party following the latter’s strong performance in KwaZulu-Natal in the 2024 national and provincial elections. The DA, IFP, EFF, and other parties will also be seeking to increase their support in the metro.
The election campaign will put competing approaches to service delivery, municipal accountability and financial management under scrutiny as parties seek to convince voters that they can improve the running of the city.
The eThekwini debate forms part of IOL’s four-day Town Hall Debates, running from October 19 to 22, featuring mayoral candidates from major metropolitan municipalities ahead of the local government elections.
The candidates have a platform to explain their plans for eThekwini and outline what they would prioritise if elected to lead the metro.
IOL