South Africa prepares for hotly contested local elections | news

Johannesburg, South Africa – Voters in South Africa will go to the polls on Monday to vote for local officials, with the ruling African National Congress (ANC) facing its toughest test since the end of apartheid.

The South African Constitutional Court ordered local elections to be held that year in September and rejected a motion from the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) requesting a postponement for fear that the COVID-19 pandemic would make it difficult to organize a free and fair election .

“The vote will be conducted in accordance with the court ruling regardless of the challenges we face in conducting this election,” said Glen Mashinini, chairman of the IEC, to Al Jazeera.

The reduced campaign time of eight weeks has seen political parties struggle to convince a skeptical electorate to support them in an election that will decide who will be tasked with providing basic services such as water and electricity.

The ANC, which has won all parliamentary elections since the end of white minority rule in 1994, but is caught up in corruption scandals and political power struggles, has promised to reform itself and renew its offer to the population.

“We know that some of our councilors have distanced themselves. Others come across as arrogant and unconcerned about the challenges our people face. This will come to an end with this election, ”said South African President and ANC leader Cyril Ramaphosa to the party candidates when they signed a value proposition in mid-October.

The pledge is designed to ensure that the ruling party’s representatives focus on public service and improve the ANC’s track record in local government.

“After you sign this pledge, it is your commitment, your commitment. You have to take it with you everywhere, ”said Ramaphosa.

The ANC currently chairs 176 of South Africa’s 213 councils, but is expected to lose votes in many communities.

A report by the National Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) showed that most communities in South Africa are facing financial difficulties and on the verge of collapse.

“You just have to travel to any community currently run by the ANC and you will see that it is a disaster,” official opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) chairman John Steenhuisen told Al Jazeera.

“You will see people living in abject poverty with no services whatsoever, sewage running down the street and, at best, irregular electricity.”

The DA currently operates 24 parishes, including major centers such as Cape Town, Tshwane – home of the capital Pretoria – and Nelson Mandela Bay, which also includes Port Elizabeth.

It hopes to expand its presence as smaller parties compete for votes as well, leading analysts to speculate that coalition or even minority governments may be in abundance according to the poll.

Although this is a local election, issues unrelated to local governance such as:

Several parties from across the political spectrum have pledged to either prevent COVID-19 vaccine mandates or to deport undocumented immigrants.

“Fake messaging and half-truths are beginning to take hold in some corners of the campaign,” Ebrahim Fakir, political analyst at the Auwal Socio-economic Research Institute (ASRI), told Al Jazeera.

“Where misinformation is used to stir emotions and get people to vote on fears of national problems that cannot be changed in a local election.”

Religion also became widespread in the election campaign of most parties, an unusual step in the South African elections, with ideologically divergent parties promising a return to traditional values ​​and even a reintroduction of religious education in schools – another non-local government skill.

“The South African community is actually a deeply religious one. However, we have not seen that this religiosity or religious conservatism is actually reflected in the party politics that we are now beginning to see, ”Professor Farid Esack, an expert in religious studies at the University of Johannesburg, told Al Jazeera.

Nonetheless, economic issues remain most important for many voters in this election, especially for more than half of the population living in poverty.

“I don’t have a place to sleep. But here in Johannesburg I realize that life is different now because of COVID-19 and politics. You have promised us a lot – but we have to vote with empty promises. There’s nothing they’ll ever give us, ”Zolani Maine, a Johannesburg resident, told Al Jazeera.

And even those lucky enough to have a job in a country where the unemployment rate has exceeded 34 percent feel the need. Last year, the pandemic-ravaged economy slumped 6.4 percent, and a recovery of just 5 percent is expected this year.

“The situation is getting worse every year,” Minenhle Mhlanga, owner of an electronics store in downtown Johannesburg, told Al Jazeera.

“It’s like nothing is easy. Business is slow – customers come and go, but people don’t work and no one has any money these days. “

Despite growing despair and dissatisfaction, analysts fear low voter turnout.

“It is vital for economic growth that local government provides basic services, but many communities have moved on,” said economist Sanisha Packirisamy.

“Whenever possible, people take themselves offline and no longer rely on services. Municipalities and companies do the job because the municipalities have failed. “

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