- Published
South Africans are voting in highly contested local elections likely to see a haemorrhaging of votes for the country's former ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC).
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Africans → publish → party
This year's voting season has been marked by intense campaigns that have included politicians spinning cars, watching grannies knit and even wading through giant-sized potholes.
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grannies → mark → potholes
Leaders are campaigning to head South Africa's nearly 300 municipalities, responsible for basic service provision such as water, electricity and refuse collection.
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Leaders → campaign → water
For the ANC, the elections are a chance to prove it still has what it takes to govern.
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it → prove → what
The party had a disastrous showing in the last national election, when it lost its parliamentary majority for the first time since 1994 when the racist apartheid system ended.
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system → have → 1994
Support for the party has been dropping significantly over the years because of anger over high levels of corruption, unemployment and crime.
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Support → drop → corruption
At its peak, in 2004, the ANC got 70% of the vote in the general election.
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ANC → get → election
Two decades later its share dropped to 40%.
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share → drop → %
Polls and pundits have predicted a further loss in these elections but President Cyril Ramaphosa has denied that his party was in a downward spiral.
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party → predict → spiral
"What I'm seeing here is that the ANC is going higher and higher and on the 4th [of November] we will show those naysayers," he told supporters at the party's final election rally on Sunday.
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he → see → Sunday
In townships like Alexandra, north-east of Johannesburg, the ANC has traditionally had a strong supporter base but poor governance and voter apathy are unravelling this support.
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governance → have → support
The BBC visited the sprawling township a week before the elections and spoke to residents to get their views.
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BBC → visit → views
One of them was Sanele Ntombela, who is a first-time voter excited to make his voice heard.
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voice → make → them
We found the 18-year-old hanging out with his friends on a street corner.
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old → find → corner
Most of his friends said they had no intention of voting and had not registered to do so.
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they → say → intention
They cited a lack of change and deteriorating delivery of basic services.
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They → cite → services
But Ntombela was looking forward to voting for the first time and thought it might lead to change.
"
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it → look → change
We face many challenges in Alexandra.
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We → face → Alexandra
There's rubbish everywhere and we struggle with electricity and water and many other issues," he said.
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he → be → electricity
Just metres away, heaps of rubbish lay gathered beneath a streetlight pole covered in election posters from the different political parties.
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heaps → lie → parties
On the other side of the street, drain water trickles through the many potholes that have gutted that part of the road.
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that → trickle → road
The BBC also spoke to Zandile Mncube, who said she wouldn't vote, even though she is registered to do so.
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she → speak → Mncube
The 33-year-old woman also cited poor service delivery and performance by local leaders for her decision.
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woman → cite → decision
"It makes no difference [whether I vote or not].
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I → make → difference
Things have gotten worse over the years," she said.
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she → get → years
Alex, as the township is known, is a stone's throw away from Sandton, Africa's richest square mile, but the differences could not be starker.
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differences → know → Sandton
Sandton is known for its skyscrapers, designer shops and well-maintained roads but in Alex, houses are sandwiched together and rubbish, either piled together or left strewn across the pavement, is everywhere.
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houses → know → pavement
The stench of raw sewage and uncollected rubbish is heavy in the air, but residents appear used to it.
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residents → appear → it
The issues plaguing Alexandra are not unique.
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issues → plague → Alexandra
A drive around Gauteng province reveals similar patterns of neglect and disrepair, especially in the townships.
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drive → reveal → townships
South of Johannesburg, Soweto looks marginally cleaner than Alexandra, but residents also complain about service delivery.
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residents → look → delivery
Mduduzi Makhubo, 45, has lived in Soweto his entire life and he told the BBC of the community's daily struggles with accessing water and electricity.
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he → live → water
"Every Monday we know we won't have water after 2pm," he said.
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he → know → 2
Makhubo is registered to vote and intends to use his vote to deal with the "arrogance" he says local leaders have towards residents and "change the status quo".
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leaders → register → quo
These areas offer a small, but important, glimpse into the state of South Africa's local governance.
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areas → offer → governance
Years of reports by the auditor-general have highlighted the dire state of most of South Africa's 257 municipalities.
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Years → highlight → municipalities
A recent report only gave 39 clean audits - the highest ranking a public entity can achieve - between 2024 and 2025.
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entity → give → 2024
None of Gauteng's three metro cities, Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni, featured in this list.
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None → feature → list
Earlier this year auditor-general Tsakani Maluleke said Johannesburg "needs ongoing attention".
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Johannesburg → say → attention
"If we don't that, we are going to continue on this slide where financial health deteriorates [and] where service delivery continues to be compromised, which is what we are living," she told lawmakers.
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she → do → lawmakers
…and 31 more, not listed.
The Aporia
