Gauteng, South Africa faces service failures, debt as voter registration rolls on

The Electoral Commission in Gauteng reported that the final voter‑registration weekend ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections began smoothly, with voting stations opening across the province, which holds more than 6.6 million registered voters.

Residents in Soweto and other Gauteng townships voiced long‑standing frustration over service delivery problems, citing overflowing sewage, water shortages, deteriorating infrastructure and a housing backlog. One resident emphasized the importance of voting, saying, “Registering and voting is very important so that as a community we can have a say in the change that is supposed to happen.”

At the same time, the City of Ekurhuleni disclosed debt exceeding R7 billion, including R5.758 billion owed to Eskom and R555 million to Rand Water. The municipality’s cash reserves are around R2 billion, far short of its obligations. Recent tariff hikes of about 9 % for electricity and 11 % for water have left residents paying more for services that are perceived to be worsening. The Democratic Alliance mayoral candidate warned that Ekurhuleni’s service delivery is “on the brink of collapse” and that failure to pay creditors could lead to electricity cuts or water restrictions.