Battle for Joburg: Broken promises test ANC loyalty in Alexandra

For some, the frustration has reached the point of abandoning the ballot altogether. Others, including first-time voters, are still deciding which party deserves their support. Their responses reflect the challenge facing political parties in one of South Africa’s most closely watched electoral battlegrounds: convincing dissatisfied residents not only that change is possible, but that voting can deliver it.

During a visit to Alexandra, residents described a township where service delivery failures have become part of daily life. Rubbish, sewage spills, potholes and deteriorating infrastructure were visible, while residents also raised concerns about unreliable electricity, water interruptions and overcrowded housing.

‘Start fixing it now’

Karabo, 34, has lived in Alexandra since 2015 and said he previously voted for the ANC. This time, however, he plans to stay home.

He said political parties had made promises about water, sanitation and electricity for years, but that those promises had not translated into meaningful improvements. In his view, waste collection by Pikitup was the only municipal service that consistently worked in his area.

“If they say they are going to fix Alexandra, start fixing it now,” Karabo said.

He said he had voted for change on several occasions but felt that each election had left residents in the same position. Campaign promises, he argued, were no longer enough.

“Now I think it’s no longer about promises, but let’s just get an action plan, or what you are going to do. Give us a breakdown,” he said.

Karabo also spoke about the impact of crime, prolonged power cuts and overcrowded living conditions. He said electricity could sometimes be unavailable for two weeks without a clear explanation or timeframe for restoration.

Housing pressure, he said, had left many residents living in small shacks or one-room structures. In such confined spaces, he added, maintaining hygiene became more difficult.

Anger over years of poor service delivery

Another resident, a 33-year-old who was born and raised in Alexandra, said the ANC had failed to improve conditions in the township. He accused the party of allowing corruption and prioritising tenders over basic services, allegations that reflect his personal view.

He said residents continued to face water and electricity shortages, inadequate housing and overcrowded yards where children had little space to play. In his view, the electricity crisis was the most serious problem.

“Whichever party we are going to put in power next has to do something different from the ANC, because clearly the ANC has been failing since day one,” he said.

The resident said he had been considering voting for the Democratic Alliance, citing its performance in the Western Cape. However, he remained uncertain whether the party would provide the same standard of services in predominantly black communities or adequately respond to the needs of township residents.

His concerns come amid longstanding frustration over housing in Alexandra. In August 2024, President Cyril Ramaphosa apologised in Parliament for creating the impression that the government would build one million houses in Alexandra.

The issue followed remarks made in April 2019 about housing for residents of the Stjwetla informal settlement along the Jukskei River. Ramaphosa said the one-million-house target was a national five-year goal, rather than a commitment to build all the houses in Alexandra, and said 40,000 houses had been earmarked for Stjwetla. He also pointed to limited available land, population growth and rising demand for housing.

First-time voters demand responsive councillors

Neo Mogale, 19, was born and raised in Alexandra and is preparing to vote for the first time. She said she wanted reliable electricity, functioning sanitation, adequate housing and councillors who listened to residents.

Mogale said her community continued to experience sewage spills, burst pipes, water shortages and unemployment. She had not yet decided which party would receive her vote.

“What I would like from the new party that is going to be in charge is to deliver services and put reliable councillors in our township,” she said.

She said residents sometimes contacted councillors without receiving a response, particularly during electricity outages. She also criticised parties for becoming visible during election campaigns and then disappearing once voting was over.

Mogale urged voters to read party manifestos and assess what each party was committing to do before making a decision. She also called for greater political awareness among both young people and older residents.

“It’s time we focus on new things and give the youth a chance,” she said.

Housing remains a defining concern

Emily Itumeleng Mokoa, 42, said she had previously supported the DA but intended to vote for the MK Party. She said her decision was influenced by dissatisfaction with the services delivered by parties she had supported in the past.

Nancy Ntshana, 50, has lived in Alexandra for 25 years. She said she applied for a Reconstruction and Development Programme house in 2001 but had not received one.

Ntshana said residents had continued voting in the hope that their living conditions would improve, but many remained without the housing and services they had been promised. She alleged that houses meant for local residents had been allocated to foreign nationals, including Nigerians and Zimbabweans. That allegation could not be independently verified.

Despite her frustration, Ntshana said she still intended to vote because she believed the ballot could help bring about change.

Johannesburg contest expected to be tightly fought

Alexandra’s dissatisfaction comes as parties compete for control of Johannesburg. The next council will face pressure to address service delivery, infrastructure and municipal finances in a city dealing with electricity and water outages, crime, corruption, hijacked buildings, expanding informal settlements, malfunctioning traffic lights and streetlights, water losses and poor sanitation.

In the 2021 local government elections, the DA won Ward 109 with 3,225 ward votes. The ANC received 2,461, while ActionSA received 1,342. The Patriotic Alliance received 93 ward votes.

The mayoral race includes DA candidate Helen Zille, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba, EFF candidate Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, Patriotic Alliance candidate Kenny Kunene, IFP candidate Mlungisi Mabaso, Rise Mzansi’s Lukhona Mnguni, BOSA’s Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster and ATM leader Vuyo Zungula.

The ANC has considered incumbent mayor Dada Morero, deputy mayor Loyiso Masuku and party veteran Rev Frank Chikane as possible mayoral candidates. The party said its final selection would be confirmed after the elections.

Polls offer contrasting pictures

Opinion polls have produced different assessments of the Johannesburg race. A July Social Research Foundation poll conducted by Victory Research placed the DA on 42% in Johannesburg, followed by the ANC on 18%, the MK Party on 13%, ActionSA on 10% and the EFF on 8%. The Johannesburg sample consisted of 504 registered voters and had a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points.

A September Ipsos survey, however, placed the ANC ahead of the DA in Johannesburg, with support of 31% and 27% respectively. The News24/Sabi poll put the DA ahead on 29.2%, followed by the ANC on 22.6%, the MK Party on 12% and ActionSA on 7%.

The differing results underline the uncertainty facing parties and make turnout particularly important. Residents such as Karabo may withdraw from the process, while first-time voters such as Mogale could help shape the result if they decide to participate.

Accountability could determine voter trust

Governance expert and political analyst Dr Bernard Sebake said declining confidence in the ANC was partly linked to its failure to implement its developmental local government agenda and ensure accountability.

He said residents had not been sufficiently involved in setting local government priorities and that political leaders needed to explain the pressures facing municipalities, including population growth, limited public finances and poverty.

Those challenges, Sebake said, could not excuse corruption or poor municipal administration. He argued that the ANC would need to show that it was serious about addressing corruption, including by demonstrating what resources had been recovered and whether convictions had increased.

“The only thing that convinces people in South Africa is to tell them that their democratic right to choose you as a leader of society will benefit them by improving their lives,” Sebake said.

He said a gap often existed between party manifestos and the results residents experienced in their communities. The repeated use of similar promises, he suggested, had done little to restore confidence where daily services remained unreliable.

Coalition politics likely to shape the next council

Sebake said the emergence of the MK Party had created another option for voters who might previously have supported the ANC. He also said tensions involving the ANC and the South African Communist Party could complicate the party’s electoral prospects.

Whatever the result, he said Johannesburg’s next administration was likely to depend on coalition politics. A coalition council would have to determine the city’s administration, priorities and approach to service delivery.

For Alexandra residents, however, the immediate question is more direct: whether the next group of leaders will turn campaign promises into visible improvements. Until that happens, the township’s broken roads, unreliable services and unresolved housing needs are likely to remain central to how residents judge every party seeking their vote.