Pretoria:President Cyril Ramaphosa has encouraged registered voters to participate in the upcoming Local Government Elections, emphasizing the power of their votes to foster community development and enhance local governance.
According to South African Government News Agency, President Ramaphosa highlighted the significant scale of the elections, set for Wednesday, 4 November, noting the participation of 546 political parties and nearly 137,000 candidates. He underscored the importance of voting for progress and development, aiming for improved, safer, and more prosperous communities.
The President commended South Africa's evolving democracy, particularly the robust involvement of women and the rise of independent candidates. He praised the consistent fairness of elections since 1994 and expressed confidence in the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC). He urged all parties and citizens to maintain peaceful and intimidation-free elections, with the South African Police Service (SAPS) prepared to ensure safety.
Highlighting local government's role in improving citizens' quality of life, President Ramaphosa pointed out that municipalities deliver essential services like water, sanitation, and electricity, which are critical for community stability and economic investment. The elections come at a time of governmental restructuring, with the Revised White Paper on Local Government proposing reforms for more efficient, accountable municipalities.
The reforms aim to stabilize municipal finances through better management and revenue collection and ensure revenues from utilities are reinvested in infrastructure. Licensing requirements for service providers are also proposed to uphold competence standards. The President stressed the need to professionalize municipalities, selecting officials based on qualifications to combat corruption and patronage.
President Ramaphosa expressed concern over violence related to local government power struggles, including disruptions and fatal attacks on candidates and officials. He called for citizens to elect capable representatives, emphasizing the elections as an opportunity to restore trust in democratic governance and build a developmental local government.
"Through our votes, we can help ensure that local government fulfills the promise that our Constitution has made to our people," President Ramaphosa concluded.