PRETORIA, Gauteng — As the City of Tshwane municipal elections approach, severe backlash over Pretoria’s infrastructure collapse and chronic service delivery failures has placed the metro’s leadership under a harsh spotlight. Instead of setting a national benchmark for excellence, residents argue that South Africa’s administrative hub is grappling with the same severe urban decay, unreliable basic utilities, and rising crime rates found in the country’s most struggling municipalities.
Leading the charge for resident accountability is Tshepo Mahlangu, president of the Lotus Gardens, Atteridgeville, and Saulsville Civic Association (LASCA). He argues that the metro’s deterioration is not just a localized grievance, but a crisis with national implications.
The National “Barometer” and the Umbilical Cord
According to Mahlangu, the capital holds a unique and vital position in the country’s administrative framework, acting as the “umbilical cord” of South Africa.
“Everyone in South Africa who is born is registered here. Everyone who dies is registered here in the capital city,” Mahlangu explained. Because the metro handles the civil registration of the living and the dead, he views it as the ultimate “barometer” for every other town and metro in the nation.
The stakes, he warns, are incredibly high. “If we fail here, everybody is going to fail. We should be leading with example, with excellence,” he stated, emphasizing that a governance collapse in the capital sets a dangerous precedent for the rest of the provinces.
Aging Networks and Diplomatic Embarrassment
On the ground, the physical reality of this governance failure is stark. In communities like Attridgeville, residents have spent years complaining about poor water quality and inconsistent supply, driven by aging infrastructure that cannot keep pace with population growth. Furthermore, township roads are heavily damaged by potholes, and when citizens report these hazards, municipal response times remain frustratingly sluggish.
Mahlangu dismissed the current administration’s claims that they are making progress, noting that the exact same issues raised four years ago have only deteriorated further.
This visible decay is particularly glaring given Pretoria’s status as a diplomatic hub. With numerous foreign embassies located within the city, Mahlangu cautioned that the visible neglect and poor governance are turning the seat of government into an international “laughing stock.”
“Pre-Celebrating Mediocrity” and Political Infighting
The LASCA president did not mince words regarding the current political class, accusing officials of treating the capital like a “jumping castle” and a “retirement village of elite trades and hustlers” who lack any real vision for the city.
He alleged that politicians are currently on a “looting spree,” prioritizing factional power struggles and “power mongering” over their constitutional duties to the public. Pointing to public infighting and allegations traded between political factions in the media, Mahlangu suggested that leaders are entirely focused on securing influence rather than fixing the city.
He also sharply criticized the administration’s tendency to blame previous governments for current failures. “We thought they were going to do something different from what they claimed to have inherited,” he said, accusing the current leadership of simply “pre-celebrating mediocrity” while services in the townships continue to plummet from bad to worse.
The Taxpayer Ultimatum: A 100-Day Mandate
Ultimately, Mahlangu reminded citizens of their immense financial and democratic power. He noted that it is the ratepayers who fund the salaries of everyone from the city manager and the executive mayor all the way up to the president of the country.
“Without my vote, there will be no president. There will be no city manager, there will be no mayor… We are actually the government,” he asserted, urging voters to be highly critical of the individuals they elect to manage public funds.
Looking ahead to the next administration’s crucial first 100 days in office, the LASCA president outlined a strict, non-negotiable mandate: a hard pivot away from consumption spending toward tangible infrastructure investment.
“They should prioritise infrastructure spending, not consumption spending,” Mahlangu concluded. “They should understand that the people shall govern because their salaries are paid by the people. They should respect us.”
