Local Government Polls: Elected Councillors Must Ensure Services Are Delivered, Budgets Allocated – Ramaphosa

CYRIL RAMAPHOSA|

WE have just finished the final voter registration weekend ahead of the local government elections on 1 November.
 
As I met with residents in parts of Gauteng and Mpumalanga over the weekend, what struck me most was the importance of local government being accessible, visible and above all, reachable.

This is particularly important when service delivery challenges, disruptions or failures occur.
 
Citizens often complain that in the lead up to elections, ward councillors, candidates and officials are energetic, interacting with communities and listening to their concerns. However, once elections have passed, they either disappear or it becomes difficult to reach them.
 
 A number of people in the communities I visited told me that municipalities are slow to attend to their problems, don’t keep communities updated about disruptions, and when services are cut off for non-payment, fail to inform them of their options in a manner