r/southafrica • u/MalemasMucusPlug • 2d ago

Politics The one thing to know when voting

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.

143 Upvotes

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14

u/SirHeadless 2d ago

What is going on in the Garden Route?

22

u/MalemasMucusPlug 2d ago

Political killings, infrastructure issues, running out of water (Knysna specifically).

1

u/chikaca Aristocracy 2d ago

Who runs Knysna?

-3

u/MalemasMucusPlug 2d ago

The local council.

4

u/Jan_du_Preez 1d ago

Dude why are you being unnecessarily cryptic? You first say Garden route, which is the district municipality ran by the DA and ICOSA, only once asked you mention it is Knysna, but you don't want to tell them it is a ANC, EFF, PA coalition.... Hold on let me just reach for my tinfoil hat..... Almost like you are doing it on purpose to confuse people....

-3

u/MalemasMucusPlug 1d ago

My point(s) regarding the importance and effects of local elections should transcend the slackjawed cuntery around "muh party good, muh party bad" dialogue. Local and district municipalities share some of the duties and responsibilities - so trying to make this a DA vs. ANC wank session is missing the point.

IF YOU DON'T LIKE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN YOUR MUNICIPALITY, VOTE THEM OUT REGARDLESS OF WHO THEY ARE.

Fokken dp.

Edit: that being said, THE ENTIRE GARDEN ROUTE is in trouble, so are you going to put your fokken tinfoil hat and be "HMMMMM LE EPIC DA AND ICOSA???" or are you going to continue missing the point?

5

u/Jan_du_Preez 1d ago

I got your entire point the first time around, I just think its super silly to be so cryptic and not to just tell people upfront, "Yeah its the ANC, EFF and PA, the usual guys you already expected." It probably makes Zero difference to peoples opinion of those parties, most of us already know they are shit... hmmmm conical tin protection cool on my forehead... Unless the only reason to obscure it is if you want people to think it is the Big Bad party you hate.

-4

u/MalemasMucusPlug 1d ago

Make it a party A vs party B circlejerk on your own time.

0

u/Jan_du_Preez 1d ago

Uhhhh Sir, its called Local Government Elections, LGE for short. What you do in your private time is completely your business, we won't kink shame.

-2

u/MalemasMucusPlug 1d ago

I bet that joke slapped the first 300 times at the braai.