South African political parties outline municipal election priorities

South African political parties are outlining their strategies for the upcoming local government elections, focusing on service delivery and municipal management in major metros.

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) has identified addressing water shortages in areas such as Ethekwini and Johannesburg as a primary objective. Mkhuleko Hlengwa, the party's national spokesperson and Ethekwini mayoral candidate, stated that the party intends to prioritize fixing aging infrastructure and combating corruption within the water tanker ecosystem. Proposed measures include installing cameras on municipal water tankers and utilizing hybrid water acquisition models, such as digging boreholes.

Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) are proposing plans to expand public services and municipal employment in Johannesburg. Mayoral candidate Tlaleng Mofokeng suggested funding these initiatives by reducing high consultancy fees and downsizing bloated executive boards within city entities. The EFF also advocates for insourcing municipal workers to prevent wage loss through labor brokering and proposes establishing people's assemblies in each ward to improve accountability.