According to the most recent figures, support for major parties has dipped below 50%, owing to a considerable number of voter withdrawals. This has made people think about what this signifies for South Africans. Has our government’s reputation suffered such a blow as a result of inadequate service delivery, as evidenced by the soaring number of unemployed youth? For the average South African, the deterioration of local governments’ ability to provide basic municipal services, which extends to their open acts of corruption that jeopardise our livelihoods, demonstrates a lack of optimal function and accountability from our local government and municipalities, with resources mismanaged poorly.
Companies and businesses bear the brunt to maintain the overwhelming costs of failing municipalities. People in their respective communities can No longer rely on simple services such as running clean water because of it being infested with dirt and sewerage making them ill, unmaintained infrastructure endangering lives, the interruption of power-cuts which have a severe impact on our economy. All these ailments leave South Africa in a state of peril.
The hope is that this low turnout has awakened citizens and the government to take significant steps and acts to regain our trust, but at the current state of affairs, the next national elections will be far worse. Is the future of South Africa on the verge of a major shift and transformation?