The People’s Mic: How a Simple Roll Call is Forcing Cape Town’s Councillors to Answer for Your Potholes

The People’s Mic: How a Simple Roll Call is Forcing Cape Town’s Councillors to Answer for Your Potholes

Imagine your local councillor having to stand up in a public meeting, not to give a political speech, but to list, one by one, the potholes they got fixed, the sewer leaks they reported, and the community meetings they actually attended. That’s no longer a hypothetical. It’s the new reality in Cape Town’s council chambers, and it’s a political experiment that’s got everyone talking. Is this the future of local accountability, or just a new form of theatre?

The City of Cape Town has instituted a bold new practice: a public roll call where every single councillor must account for their work on the ground. This move, championed as a “people’s contract,” is shaking up the often-opaque world of local government by forcing elected officials to answer a simple question: what have you done for your community lately?

From Closed Doors to Center Stage

Gone are the days where a councillor’s performance was debated solely in closed-door caucus meetings or measured by vague annual reports. Now, the mic is live, and the audience is the entire city.

The process is straightforward but brutal in its transparency. Councillors are required to detail their constituency work. This isn’t about voting records on big policy issues; it’s about the gritty, day-to-day work of local government. They must report on the number of service delivery complaints they’ve logged with the city administration, the follow-ups they’ve conducted, and the community engagements they’ve held.

The underlying message is revolutionary in its simplicity: you were elected to deliver, now prove you are.

The “People’s Contract”: A Two-Way Street

Proponents, largely from the ruling party, frame this as the cornerstone of a new “people’s contract.” This isn’t just a fancy term. It’s built on the idea that governance is a partnership. Residents hold up their end by paying rates, participating in meetings, and reporting issues. In return, they deserve direct, tangible answers from their elected representatives.

This roll call is the mechanism to enforce that contract. It’s designed to cut through political noise and focus on results. A councillor can’t simply blame the opposition or the national government for local failures; they must present their own record of action, or inaction, for all to see. The hope is that this will foster a new culture of competitiveness, not along party lines, but about who can best serve their ward.

The Skeptics Weigh In: Accountability or Ambush?

However, not everyone is cheering. Opposition parties and critics see a potential weapon disguised as a tool for transparency. They argue that in a highly politicized environment, the roll call could be used to selectively shame critics and opposition members, turning the council into a performance of loyalty rather than a genuine accounting.

They raise valid questions: Does quantity of reported issues trump quality of resolution? Does this measure a councillor’s ability to navigate complex bureaucracy, or just their ability to generate a long list of complaints?

A National Conversation Starter

Regardless of the political motives, Cape Town’s experiment has started a crucial national conversation that every municipality should be having. In a country where trust in public officials is often low, how do we rebuild it? How do we move from empty promises to measurable actions?

This public accounting makes the work of local government visible. It empowers residents with information, allowing them to compare their councillor’s report with the reality on their own street.

Whether this roll call becomes a transformative tool for service delivery or fades into political ritual depends on one thing: the public. If residents tune in, take note, and use this information at the ballot box, then this could be a genuine game-changer. If not, it will remain a political sideshow. For now, Cape Town’s councillors know that when their name is called, the people are listening.

{Source: IOL}

Follow Joburg ETC on Facebook, Twitter , TikTok and Instagram

For more News in Johannesburg, visit joburgetc.com