Tackling Western Cape municipal chaos takes serious people doing serious things

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The dust has settled from the 2026 local government elections – the next phase will prove as challenging as the campaigning ...

The dust has settled from the 2026 local government elections – the next phase will prove as challenging as the campaigning was.

I want to congratulate all political parties who have made it into municipal councils in the Western Cape.

But the real hard work began the moment the polls were declared free and fair.

Last month, I wrote about the importance of these elections: how they represented a chance to turn back the chaos that threatens so many of our municipalities; how they would shape the day-to-day reality of our lived experience for years to come; and how they represented a chance for democracy to continue to take its course, and for the rejection of all that was failing in municipal governance.

Too often we have seen municipalities governed for party and personal gain rather than the good of residents. We have witnessed the consequences of this narrow-mindedness and, quite frankly, avarice in some Western Cape municipalities. It is something that – on personal as well as political and professional levels – angers me deeply.

Happily, though, democracy’s accountability mechanisms largely seem to have worked. Where there were collapses in even the most basic of services, voters punished those responsible. Despite a worryingly low turnout, those voters who did show up have done their job. Now it is up to us.

The message from voters is clear: leaders cannot be allowed to take for granted the will of the electorate, and councils must prioritise capability and competency over party loyalty. Regardless of political affiliation or which party residents supported, their expectations remain the same: elected representatives must work collectively to improve the lives of the communities they serve.

There can be no more important priority than delivering quality basic services and creating an enabling environment for economic growth and job creation. Ultimately, it is not political point-scoring that matters, but tangible improvements in the lives of the people we serve.

While…

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