With South Africans heading to the polls on Wednesday, 4 November, Rivonia Circle Director Tessa Dooms says voters must look beyond party politics and understand the role of local councillors .
By Mapaballo Borotho
South Africans are heading to the polls on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, to make their mark in the local elections.
As voters prepare to cast their ballots, understanding the role of local government and the people they are electing is more important than ever.
Local elections determine who is responsible for providing basic services such as water, electricity, sanitation and housing to you.
Rivonia Circle Director Tessa Dooms has described these elections as “life-or-death” elections, saying the issues at stake affect the daily lives and wellbeing of all South Africans.
“The things that are on the line are life-or-death issues. They are about safety, water, housing, sanitation and about basic things that ordinary South Africans depend on daily,” said Dooms.
Voter apathy and hesitation remain among some South Africans, particularly in communities that have experienced poor service delivery and unmet promises.
However, service delivery does not affect only underprivileged communities. It affects everyone, making it important for South Africans to participate in the democratic process – a right that was once far-fetched for many Black South Africans.
Water and electricity are not the only issues affecting the country. The safety of women, children and other vulnerable people remains a major concern. This as last month, more than 10 women were reportedly killed in the City of Ekurhuleni, with the incidents raising fears of a possible serial killer among some communities.
At the same Gauteng’s three metros have been grappling with ongoing power and water outages. In Bronkhorstspruit, Tshwane, residents reportedly fell ill after consuming contaminated water.
These challenges cannot be resolved overnight. However, the vote cast tomorrow will help determine who is elected to address them and find solutions that affect communities across the country.
Why your ward councillor matters?
Dooms says voters have a great deal to consider when they enter the voting booth, beginning with understanding the role of a ward councillor.
“When voting, we have to understand what councillors do before we get to what the executive and mayors do, since we do not get to decide on them,” she said.
“The first thing you need to think about is: who is going to be your fighter in the city? I call councillors your paid political activists. These people are paid R50,000 a month to be an activist on your behalf. They have to look after your human rights.”
A ward councillor’s role includes representing residents and raising their concerns with the municipality. This can involve following up on service-delivery issues, such as water shortages, burst pipes and electricity outages.
When a water pipe bursts, residents can turn to their ward councillor to raise the issue with the relevant authorities. When electricity outages occur, councillors are expected to represent residents’ concerns and seek information about the response.
Dooms says councillors also have access to information and responsibilities that ordinary residents may not have.
“Ward councillors have the power to vote in mayors, they get priority access to information, they have the right to criticise anything that does not benefit citizens. They also have information about who sits on the tender committee.
Councillors may not be able to tell us when the water issue will be fixed, but they should know what time and when the water tankers are coming and how they are going to distribute water to residents.”
Dooms emphasises that councillors are elected to serve their communities and should be accountable to residents, rather than only to the political parties they represent.
What should voters consider when it comes to coalitions?
With all three major Gauteng metros currently governed by coalition arrangements, coalitions are likely to remain part of the political landscape after the 4 November elections.
Dooms says coalition governments should not automatically be viewed as a bad thing.
“A majority for one party is more detrimental than a coalition because no one gets to oppose their decisions, even when they are not beneficial. This is also a good time to ask parties what they are planning to do with their votes, even if they are in a coalition.”
She says South Africa could experience significant political shifts if more people participate in the elections. Her advice to voters is to turn out in numbers that political parties may not be expecting and “shock the system”.
Still undecided? Here’s how to assess your choices
For voters who are still unsure which party or candidate best represents their views, Dooms says it is important to consider the issues that matter most to them and assess what political parties are proposing to do about them.
Voters can also visit za.smartvote.org to compare their views with party positions and identify which manifesto may align most closely with their ideologies.
As South Africans prepare to cast their ballots, Dooms’ message is clear: understand the responsibilities of the people you are electing, consider the issues affecting your community and make your vote count.
Listen to the full podcast conversation on why voting matters and how undecided voters can assess their choices.
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