Why you need to vote in Municipal Elections

Your decision in 2011could have a major impact on your life and the future of our city. We now know all the incumbent party and it's candidates. Now is the time to take an active interest, talk to the public-spirited people who give their time canvassing, and get to know your candidates.

 

Here in South Africa it's a little different from most other democracies around the world. Here we vote for the party and not the candidate. The closest we get to voting for the candidate is in municipal elections.

 

An election may be looked at in two ways: selecting good people, and supporting candidates (the party) who declares support for specific policies. In municipal elections, your current personal concerns will only represent a small fraction of the matters that will come up for discussion in the council chamber in the next term. More important therefore is to vote for informed and ethical people who can think for themselves on wide ranging matters.

 

On the doorstep, some voice concerns about issues that may affect them personally, and a larger number bring up matters that could have a general impact, such as city mergers or the new library. Many have a view of how well the incumbent party's candidate has been performing in the past, though I have to say that a good number seem to have no opinions, or if they have, they aren’t talking about them. Few are prepared to become personally involved in finding solutions to problems they perceive, although they aren’t slow to complain, but believe that as taxpayers they are paying someone else to deal with all the problems. It’s in this sort of vacuum that the candidates (party) operates to solicit support. Which takes us back to the preferred approach: Identify talented and ethical candidates for City Council.

 

Overall the best way to identify talented and ethical candidates is talk to them directly or meet them in person at public meetings, or by calling or emailing them. Read their campaign material and check the newspaper for information about your specific ward candidate and where they stand on the issues

 

Choose them carefully. The next year when the budget comes down, will be too late to discover that they weren’t the right choice. If in 2011 you don’t like your rates bill, it may be too late to be able to do much more than grumble.

 

Municipal Politics is seen as unimportant by people but in reality it is the most important level of government. Your city council serves your neighbourhood, provides those essential services like community centres, garbage pickup, road repair, water and much more. The candidates you select in 2011will play an important role in these and many other major decisions. 

 

So I encourage you to learn about the issues affecting our city, watch, read, even attend public meetings and ask and learn about the candidates themselves and where they stand on issues affecting you and me and what they will do to make Durban and eThekwini a better place for everyone.