Much at stake in how you cast your vote
In just over a year's time, South Africans will vote in the 2026 local government polls , the country's seventh such election since the dawn of democracy.
This week, Nelson Mandela Bay got a taste of what's to come.
In what was widely viewed as a litmus test ahead of next year's elections, residents in the Bay's Ward 34 went to the polls on Wednesday in a by-election after the death of DA councillor Johnny Arends in April.
While six parties contested, including the National Alliance, ANC, EFF and PAC, the PA and DA were seen as the front-runners in what was expected to be a hotly contested election.
In the end, it was just 188 votes that separated the two, with the DA securing 2,382 votes (46.56%) to beat the PA with its 2,194 votes (42.89%).
In the 2021 local government elections, the DA won the ward with 63.14% of the votes, followed by the National Alliance (17.12%) and PA (2.78%).
So what, you might ask?
For those who do not fully understand the difference between the national and municipal elections , these are the elections that determine who will represent us at a grassroots level, possibly for the next five years if there are no by-elections in between.
These are the ward councillors, in particular, who will take our concerns — literally from our streets — and place it on the municipal agenda.
Our first port of call as citizens as far as service delivery is concerned, these are the councillors — we hope — who will ensure our concerns are addressed.
As we edge closer to next year's elections, we expect the campaigning of the past three months in this ward will only intensify as parties vie for the support of voters — and spread to other wards across the Bay.
And as they campaign, remember this: the outcome of these municipal elections have the most immediate and visible impact on our daily lives, from the overgrown grass in our parks, to the street lights lining our roads and so much else in between.
Take the time over the next few months to understand what political parties offer and reflect on what they have already delivered — or not — as you decide who deserves your vote.
But, whatever you do, just vote.
The Herald
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