By Levy Masiteng
Long queues formed at voting stations across Mbombela on Wednesday as Mpumalanga residents cast their ballots in the 2026 Local Government Elections, with water shortages, deteriorating infrastructure and poor service delivery among voters’ main concerns.
Voters queued at Steiltes LVCC, West End and Laerskool Bergland to elect new municipal leadership, while residents elsewhere in the province expressed frustration over persistent service delivery failures.
Voting at Steiltes LVCC was progressing slowly, with elderly voters being prioritised to reduce their waiting times.
At West End, voting proceeded steadily despite the large turnout, while at Laerskool Bergland, the queue stretched towards the Jatra parking entrance.
Other voting stations reported a quieter start to the day.
Water shortages and poor road infrastructure were among the concerns raised by residents in Bushbuckridge, who expressed hope that their elected representatives would address these longstanding problems.
Mpumalanga Premier Mandla Ndlovu, who cast his vote at the Thulamahashe Civic Centre, acknowledged the province’s water challenges and pledged to prioritise infrastructure improvements.
“Water is life, and we are going to pay special attention to this issue in Mbombela,” he said.
Ndlovu said the provincial government had analysed feasibility studies for a proposed dam in Mbombela and was pursuing the Loskop Bulk Water Supply Project, which is intended to improve water provision in the Thembisile Hani and Dr JS Moroka municipalities.
He said 12% of households in Mpumalanga lacked access to piped water, while 5% of residents had no electricity. Access to sanitation stood at 80%.
The premier urged residents to use their votes to determine who would govern their municipalities and address their service delivery concerns.
“I would like to encourage voters to come out in numbers and participate in electing the new council, as the term of office of the previous council has come to an end. The power is in our hands to constitute a new council,” he said.
Mpumalanga has 2,170,139 registered voters, accounting for 7.42% of South Africa’s 29.2 million registered voters.
The province has 1,861 voting stations across its municipalities. Nationally, 136,790 candidates are contesting 10,526 municipal council seats.
In a statement issued ahead of election day, Ndlovu reminded residents that voting gave them an opportunity to choose their representatives.
“Voting is a right enshrined in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. It gives you, as a citizen, the power to make a choice of your preferred party, and individuals to represent you in your Municipality. So use this opportunity to decide,” Ndlovu said.
The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) approved 292,775 voters in Mpumalanga for special voting on 2 and 3 November, ahead of Wednesday’s main election.
Voting stations opened at 7am and are scheduled to close at 9pm. Voters who are still in queues at closing time will be allowed to cast their ballots.
Ndlovu said the IEC’s preparations should give voters confidence in the electoral process.
“The IEC has assured the nation that all systems, including the material required to deliver credible elections are in place. So every voter is guaranteed to cast their ballots in a system that will produce free and fair results. So let us all use this opportunity to amplify our voices,” he said.
He also emphasised that residents had a responsibility to remain involved in local governance beyond election day, particularly when holding councillors accountable for service delivery.
“When they vote, they must also understand that they have a responsibility to engage with their councillors on a range of issues,” Ndlovu reminded the voters.
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