As South Africa approaches its local government elections, non-governmental organisation My Vote Counts (MVC) has launched a scathing critique of municipal service delivery, warning that decades of documented failures have allowed “local government rot" to fester despite a robust legislative framework.

In response to these persistent challenges, the civil society group has released its Municipal People’s Analysis of Manifestos (M-PAM), a citizen-centred tool designed to empower voters to evaluate political promises against actual community needs and constitutional mandates.

The organisation emphasised that South Africa does not lack the legal infrastructure for good governance, as it possesses a solid legislative foundation designed to foster community-led governance, noting Section 152 of the Constitution which mandates that local government facilitate community participation in municipal affairs.

The 1998 White Paper on Local Government envisions citizens participating simultaneously as voters, consumers, and collaborative partners, while the Municipal Systems Act of 2000 legally obligates municipalities to receive petitions, provide notice of meetings, and report back to communities.

Despite these laws, MVC noted that maladministration, corruption, and inadequate participatory channels continue to lock citizens out of the decisions shaping their daily lives.

A key point of failure highlighted by MVC is the breakdown of ward committees. Intended as a vital communications link between residents and local government, these structures have largely become invisible, the organisation said.

"In practice, ward councillors and committees tend to be inaccessible and only visible during elections," the organisation stated, demanding that committee members be known to their constituents, host accessible meetings, and actively represent marginalised groups, including those in informal settlements and people living with disabilities.

While major political parties such as the ANC, DA, and EFF have outlined manifesto priorities such as water, electricity, housing, safety, and fighting corruption, MVC argued that actual delivery remains a deep concern.

M-PAM aims to disrupt this cycle by shifting the focus away from party rhetoric.

"Too often, election debates begin with what political parties are promising, rather than with what people are experiencing in their communities," explained MVC campaigns intern Thinam Mali.

"M-PAM starts from the other direction. It asks citizens to look at the services they receive, the challenges they face... and then use that knowledge to interrogate the promises being made to them."

MVC emphasised that marking a ballot paper is only the first step, adding that “true accountability” requires ongoing civic participation, including tracking local budgets and participating in consultations on municipal Integrated Development Plans.

Project lead Keamogetswe Seipato explained that local government elections dictate the precise conditions in which people live every day.

"Citizens therefore need more than promises. They need the information and tools to question those promises, assess performance and hold elected representatives accountable,” Seipato said.

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