No electricity, no vote, South Africans threaten to shun ruling party ANC

Residents in Katlehong, a township outside Johannesburg, have resolved to boycott South Africa’s upcoming local elections on November 4 due to long-standing failures by authorities to provide basic services like electricity.

For over 20 years, around 180 households in the community have relied on illegal electrical connections pulled from neighboring areas to power their homes. Angry over the lack of formal grid infrastructure, residents are directing their frustration at the ruling African National Congress (ANC).

"We have made a collective decision: no electricity, no vote," said community leader Lesiba Rankapole, 59. 

"We know it is illegal, but we had no choice because we cannot live without electricity. Our children cannot progress without electricity."

"I was born ANC, but today I do not want anyone to tell me about the ANC because I am suffering," added 57-year-old resident Enock Majola.

Similar grievances regarding uncollected garbage, water shortages, sewage leaks, and corruption are driving widespread disillusionment across municipalities nationwide.

The upcoming municipal elections pose a significant test for the ANC, which has seen its political dominance steadily erode over two decades. After capturing nearly 70 percent of the national vote in 2004, the party fell below 50 percent for the first time during the 2021 local elections. In the 2024 national election, the ANC secured just over 40 percent, forcing it into a national coalition government.

Political analyst Sethulego Matebesi noted that low voter turnout typically hurts the ANC and predicted that no single party will secure an outright majority, leading to hung councils and coalition-building.

The political battle is particularly fierce in Johannesburg. While the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) is campaigning aggressively on infrastructure failures and corruption, the ANC’s head of elections, Mdumiseni Ntuli, acknowledged public dissatisfaction while appealing to voters.

"If you look at the situation in and around Johannesburg, there are reasons for people not to be happy," Ntuli stated. "We have made mistakes and accepted our shortcomings, but ANC remains a better option for people."
 

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