DA Pledges to ‘Rescue’ Service Delivery in Ekurhuleni Ahead of Local Elections

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has vowed to improve basic services in the City of Ekurhuleni if it wins control of the metro in the upcoming 2026 local government elections.

At a campaign event on Friday, the party announced Khathutshelo Rasilingwane as its mayoral candidate for Ekurhuleni, underlining her promise to tackle longstanding service delivery challenges affecting residents. Leadership of the metro remains a critical contest ahead of the elections, with several parties vying to address issues such as water outages, electricity reliability, road maintenance and waste management — areas where municipal performance has often frustrated local communities.

DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga described the upcoming polls as a “watershed moment” for Ekurhuleni, emphasising the party’s commitment to restoring efficient basic services if elected. Msimanga said that voters deserve accountable and effective governance that delivers tangible improvements in their daily lives.

The party’s pledge reflects broader debates over governance performance in South African metros ahead of the 2026 municipal elections, where service delivery remains a central campaign issue. The DA has often pointed to its record in municipalities such as Cape Town to argue that a focus on transparent administration and responsive local government can lead to better outcomes for residents.

For Ekurhuleni residents, repeated service delivery problems — including long water interruptions and infrastructure backlogs — have been a source of frustration. With local elections set to take place between November 2026 and early 2027, political parties are sharpening their campaigns around practical solutions and promises to fix persistent challenges.

As the DA pushes its service delivery rescue plan, other parties have also been positioning themselves in Ekurhuleni. The contest for control of the metro is expected to be closely watched, with governance performance, coalition dynamics, and voter sentiment playing key roles in shaping the outcome.