SOWETO, GAUTENG — The IFP election campaign has intensified across Soweto as party leader Velenkosini Hlabisa rallies residents to support the Inkatha Freedom Party’s bid to lead the Johannesburg Metro ahead of the upcoming November 4 municipal polls.
As part of the intensified grassroots outreach, Hlabisa crisscrossed one of Africa’s largest urban centers, beginning his tour in Meadowlands with the official handover of a fully renovated home to the Kganyago family. The family had previously been struck by tragedy when a gas explosion destroyed their residence and claimed the life of their grandmother.
During the handover, the Kganyago family expressed deep appreciation for the party’s tangible intervention. Highlighting the IFP’s slogan, “We work for you,” a family representative noted that the party’s empathy had resolved their previous voting uncertainty. “I was actually confused for quite some time, not knowing where to move my vote to,” the resident shared. “But rightfully now, I know exactly who I am voting for and why. You have worked for me, I therefore trust you.”
Hlabisa emphasized that the gesture aligns with the party’s founding principles of Ubuntu. Reflecting on the door-to-door campaign efforts, he noted that encountering families living in conditions that serve as constant reminders of painful incidents is unacceptable. “If you want to rebuild South Africa, we start building smaller things, and they will culminate into bigger things,” Hlabisa stated, urging Soweto residents to stop wasting their votes and instead entrust their immediate interests to a party committed to actionable delivery.
Leaving nothing to chance, the IFP leadership also took its campaign trail to Kliptown, where Hlabisa engaged directly with community members facing severe service delivery challenges. Residents voiced stark frustrations about their living conditions, citing prolonged power outages, a lack of clean water, and shacks in a horrible state of disrepair.
Community members expressed skepticism toward political visits that only surge during election cycles. “It’s hard to live here in Kliptown. We stay in the dark,” one resident remarked, capturing a widespread local sentiment. “It’s easy for them to come when they want votes. They are not afraid. But when it’s time to deliver, they are scared to come.”
As the November 4 polls draw nearer, the IFP’s strategy in the highly contested Johannesburg Metro hinges on these direct community engagements, aiming to translate grassroots empathy and localized renewal projects into broader electoral support.
