Water and electricity outages were among the main concerns raised by South Africans voting in yesterday’s local government elections, with residents calling on incoming councillors to repair failing infrastructure and improve basic services.

From Cape Town to Johannesburg and Durban, voters described days without running water, lengthy power interruptions and roads left in disrepair. Some said repeated elections had brought little change to their neighbourhoods, while others wanted clearer communication from municipalities when essential services failed.

In Kraaifontein in the Western Cape, Edward Feltman, 69, said he had voted since the country’s first democratic election in 1994 but was still waiting for services to improve.

“When power goes off, it takes days. When water goes off, it takes three, four days,” he said.

Feltman said electricity interruptions in his area had recently lasted 13 to 16 hours. Residents were not always warned of outages, while complaints about dirty streets and neglected open spaces went unanswered.

“The only time we really see our leaders is when it comes time to vote again.”

He said infighting among political parties was distracting councillors from the problems residents faced.

“Take your hands out of your pocket. Look around and see what is really needed.”

In Midrand, Gauteng, a voter who gave only her first name, Thembi, said her area was still without water on election day. Finding out which party ran the municipality had influenced how she cast her ballot.

“Let’s hope the people that we voted for will bring the change that we want,” she said.

Source: https://iol.co.za/the-star/news/2026-11-05-water-electricity-failures-dominate-voters-concerns-across-south-africa/