The one thing to know when voting

[u/MalemasMucusPlug]

Local elections matter more than general elections.

City of Cape Town ramming data centers down your throat? That's a municipal issue.

Jo'burg neglecting infrastructure? That's a municipal issue.

eMalahleni being billions in debt to Eskom? That's a municipal issue.

Gayton (allegedly) defrauding Central Karoo District Municipality of millions of charity funds? That's a municipal issue.

Tender & procurement fraud? Most of it happens at municipalities.

Failure to get a clean audit? It's not Cyril cooking the books (or couches), it's your local council.

Garden Route being completely fucked? That's a municipal issue.

Dogs barking and shitting everywhere? That's a municipal issue.

Streets lights out? Municipal issue.

Water pipe burst? Municipal issue.

Municipal councils have an extreme amount of power - to the point where City of Cape Town said "we can do what we want" in front of the WC High Court.

In many ways, what happens in these elections will have a significantly more direct impact on your day-to-day life than which arse keeps the seats warm in the Union Building.

If you like what your council is doing, keep voting for them. If you don't like what they're doing, vote for someone else. Pluralistic councils are slower to act, but they also keep each other in check - like when the FF+ teamed up with the ANC to whistleblow on the DA in Swellendam.

General elections have you competing with >16 million other voters.

Local elections might just have you competing with a few thousand. Proportionally, your vote matters more and is likely to impact your life more directly.

[u/Mother_Effect_3890]

Great post. But I thought everyone already knew this.

[u/MalemasMucusPlug → u/Mother_Effect_3890]

Thanks! Going by some of the posts & comments I've been seeing, I don't think everyone did.

I worry our politics is too focused on the tree (Cyril) and ends up missing the forest (municipal councils). Cyril's couch cash matters less to me (and has a lesser impact on my life) than my municipal council getting billions of ZARs into debt or building an AI data center down the road from me or raising rates and taxes to the point where old folks can't afford their homes anymore.