By all available evidence we live in a time of violence.
It permeates all sectors of our greater community.
As public representatives, we believe there is every reason to be concerned as the ugly monster that is political killings appears to be raising its head again in the run-up to the local government elections in November.
In the month of June alone there have been deadly incidents in three provinces.
In Cape Town, an election candidate was shot dead.
In the West Rand, two men affiliated with a political party were killed.
Here in Nelson Mandela Bay, the assassination of councillor Sicelo Mleve has been widely reported.
The SA Local Government Association says these incidents are not isolated.
They form part of a deeply concerning pattern of violence which often intensifies around election time.
It says data from its Municipal Violence Incident Reporting system shows that hundreds of incidents — ranging from threats and intimidation to killings — have been recorded in the local government sphere since 2000, escalating during election periods.
Of particular concern is that this level of political violence imperils the very fabric of our constitutional democracy.
Local government is the interface between government service delivery and communities.
If upstanding and competent residents are discouraged from taking an active part in local government because of the threat of violence, then that undermines the very foundation of our democracy.
It erodes whatever credibility is left in our political system.
Our country is already grappling with the challenge of growing voter apathy.
The dearth of voter participation is in itself a threat to our democracy.
According to the Human Sciences Research Council, voter turnout in the 2024 general election was at an all-time low of 58.6%, down from 89.3% in 1999.
Of the registered voter population of 27.7 million, more than 11 million people did not bother to turn up.
The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) says more than 50% of people who are registered to vote chose not to exercise that right in the 2021 local government election.
The IEC notes that by staying away from the polls, residents are hurting their own interests because their voices remain unheard.
Non-participation impacts service delivery and the development of communities.
It is well and good to complain about potholes, traffic and street lights that do not work, prolonged electricity outages and no water in the taps.
The reality is that those conditions are not going to change until residents go to the polls to remove the current political leadership which has broken its social contract with ratepayers by presiding over the collapse of our metro.
If we do not vote, then we will have to brace ourselves to live with the consequences of infrastructure decay for at least the next five years.
We should know from present experience that is an unhappy place to be.
Come November 4, let us all be active citizens, put our ballots where our mouths are and rise to save Nelson Mandela Bay from further collapse.
Bongani Mali is chair of AIM (Abantu Integrity Movement), a registered party represented on the Nelson Mandela Bay council
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.