DUNCAN VILLAGE, EASTERN CAPE — As the November 4 local government elections approach, Buffalo City Metro service delivery failures have become the defining issue for voters, particularly in historically neglected areas like Duncan Village. Residents continue to grapple with open sewers, severely damaged roads, and dangerously low-hanging electrical wires, prompting intense scrutiny of the current administration and setting the stage for a highly contested electoral period.
Community Safety and Ratepayer Frustrations
For voters in Ward 47, the daily realities of crime and inadequate municipal support are driving a push for political change. Anele Mkhangelwa, the Patriotic Alliance ward councillor candidate for Ward 47, highlights a severe drug crisis plaguing the municipality. According to Mkhangelwa, illicit substances are being sold in daylight across the CBD, the town, and Quigney.
Despite community forum efforts to arrest suspects and hand them over to the police, Mkhangelwa notes that offenders are quickly released and return to their illegal activities. If elected, he promises to foster closer cooperation between the community and law enforcement to ensure the safety of residents and children. Furthermore, Mkhangelwa points to deep dissatisfaction among ratepayers, who are being charged abnormal rates by the Buffalo City Metro (BCM) without receiving adequate basic services in return.
“Normalized” Decay and Infrastructure Collapse
The physical state of the metro paints a grim picture of municipal collapse. Busi Maqungo, regional secretary for ActionSA, describes the situation in Duncan Village as dire, pointing to uncollected refuse, flowing sewage, and potholes that are destroying both infrastructure and vehicles.
Maqungo warns of a dangerous psychological shift within the community, noting that residents have begun to accept this severe decay as their “normal.” He highlights a specific grievance in Ward 122, where a three-week water outage occurred without any prior warning from the municipality during extremely hot weather, leaving residents without basic necessities.
When asked how to reverse the trend, Malongo criticizes the current tender system and the political deployment of friends and family into municipal roles, arguing that a complete systemic reset is required to fix the failing infrastructure.
Systemic Corruption and the Political Landscape
The persistent failures in the metro are not just a result of poor management, but alleged systemic corruption, according to political analyst Dr. Makhosandile Kwaza. Dr. Kwaza points to a lack of political will and misappropriation of funds as the primary hurdles to effective service delivery.
To illustrate the severity of the corruption, Dr. Kwaza cites a local swimming pool revitalization project that was initially budgeted at R14.9 million. Due to corrupt tender practices and awarding contracts to unqualified associates, the cost ballooned to R79 million, yet the facility remains completely unusable.
Dr. Kwaza also critiques the patronage system that has historically allowed the ruling party to appoint mayors without voters knowing the candidates beforehand. He praises alternative political approaches, such as the Democratic Alliance’s strategy in Johannesburg of announcing mayoral candidates months before registration, which fosters greater accountability.
Election Outlook
As the election draws near, the political landscape in the Buffalo City Metro remains heavily skewed, though shifting. The African National Congress (ANC) currently holds an outright majority with 61 out of 100 seats. However, Dr. Kwaza predicts a reduction in their support due to voter frustration.
Meanwhile, the United Democratic Movement (UDM) faced significant hurdles ahead of the polls. The party attempted to recruit floor-crossers from the ANC, but because these individuals failed to formally resign from their previous party, the electoral system disqualified them, resulting in the UDM failing to register several of its proposed ward and proportional representation candidates.
Despite these disruptions, Dr. Lewa anticipates that while the ANC’s majority in the Buffalo City Metro may shrink, the specific dynamics of the region mean a coalition government is unlikely in this metro, even as coalitions are expected to shape the outcomes in other municipalities across the country.
