People's Choice manifesto summary

Housing and title deeds

Not addressed in this manifesto.

Water and sanitation

• Ensure every household has access to safe, affordable water through yard taps or communal standpipes. Fix leaks and pump failures within 72 hours of reporting. p.4
• Ring-fence at least 30% of the water infrastructure budget for preventative maintenance and publish a public asset register of water infrastructure with maintenance schedules. p.4
• Test water quality regularly and publish results per ward, taking immediate action where contamination is detected. Set up a dedicated water complaints line with tracking numbers. p.4
• Protect indigent households through properly implemented free basic water policies and ensure accurate metering and billing with clear explanations of charges. p.5
• Reduce reliance on external contractors by directly employing teams for routine maintenance of water and public buildings. p.7

Electricity and energy

• Guarantee reliable electricity services at clinics and community health centres. p.2p.9
• Directly employ teams for preventative maintenance of electricity and other services. p.7
• Ensure major infrastructure projects related to electricity are supervised by registered professionals. p.8
• Set and publish performance targets for electricity service reliability. p.9
• Ensure reliable electricity as part of essential services alongside water and sanitation. p.10

Roads and public transport

• Review and redesign routes for regular transport to clinics, schools, markets, and industrial areas in all wards, including rural areas. p.3
• Promote integration between taxis, buses, BRT, and rail to reduce waiting times and improve transfers. p.3
• Work with transport operators to keep fares affordable and enforce safety standards for taxis and buses. p.3
• Build and maintain safe taxi ranks, bus stops, and shelters with proper facilities and ensure safe pedestrian access. p.4
• Coordinate transport schedules with employers to align with shift times in industrial areas and explore discounted transport passes. p.4

Waste and refuse collection

• Designate safe, serviced trading spaces with water, sanitation, electricity, and refuse removal. p.5

Safety and policing

• Install and maintain functional street lighting in all residential areas, especially around clinics, schools and transport nodes. p.9
• Establish satellite police stations in large, high-crime, or remote wards to improve police presence. p.10
• Ensure each satellite station is staffed by dedicated SAPS members and guarantee visible patrols from these stations. p.10
• Develop ward safety plans with residents and publish simplified safety plans and crime trend summaries for each ward, updated at least twice a year. p.11
• Co-locate satellite stations with other safety and support services where feasible. p.10

Jobs and the local economy

• Reposition the municipality as an economic enabler that cuts red tape, speeds up licensing, and supports small businesses and cooperatives. p.5
• Target at least 60% of municipal jobs and procurement for local residents, prioritising youth, women, and people with disabilities. p.6
• Create apprenticeships, learnerships, and graduate internships in the municipality with transparent, merit-based selection. p.6
• Work with national and provincial programmes to expand access to finance for MSMEs through grants, loans, and guarantee schemes. p.6
• Expand participation in apprenticeship programmes to train local youth as artisans and technicians, partnering with TVET colleges and universities. p.8

Rates, tariffs and municipal finance

• Ensure accurate metering and billing, with clear explanations of charges for all households and businesses. p.5
• Protect indigent households through free basic water policies and accessible indigent registers. p.5
• Improve revenue collection through fair, transparent billing and support for indigent households. p.11
• Publish simplified, ward-level budget summaries in plain language to show spending priorities. p.11
• Hold pre-budget community meetings to allow residents to influence spending priorities. p.11

Corruption, governance and accountability

No summary for this topic. Here are the manifesto’s own words instead.

Informal settlements and land

Not addressed in this manifesto.

Support for indigent households

• Protect indigent households through properly implemented free basic water policies and easy-to-access indigent registers. p.5
• Improve revenue collection through fair, transparent billing and support for indigent households. p.11

By-law and municipal law enforcement

Not addressed in this manifesto.

Youth, sport, arts and libraries

Not addressed in this manifesto.