ANC Voters In Soweto Are Walking Away — And Ward Councillors Have No Answers Left

Residents of Soweto’s Meadowlands Zone 6 are becoming more critical of the African National Congress (ANC), claiming that the party has disregarded persistent issues with service delivery despite decades of political support.

Outside a rundown community hall on Tuesday evening, protesters yelled out for their elected representatives to answer their questions and take accountability. A resident’s disappointment was palpable when she learned that her home continued to get discoloured water from the tap regularly, despite her 43 years of ANC support. As a representative of the numerous residents who have voted for improved living circumstances for years but have seen no change, she made her voice heard.

Discontent with the African National Congress (ANC) has increased after the party’s loss of the parliamentary majority in the general election that happened in May 2024. According to rumours, 51-year-old Nhlanhla Dube willingly relinquished his membership card at a community event on October 14, 2025. Dube was the head of the Dobsonville chapter. “Organised looting dressed up as governance,” infected public works projects, and claims of corruption in government contracts were among his explanations.

The Dobsonville branch saw at least 317 registered members leave between January and September of this year, according to Dube.

Ntombi Shabalala, a spokesman for the Johannesburg Metro, said that during the same nine-month period, over 2,400 complaints were logged in Meadowlands Zone 6 about service delivery. Problems such as congested stormwater drainage systems, damaged water lines, malfunctioning lamps, and potholes were mentioned.

To resolve the lingering concerns, Shabalala only said, “All outstanding matters are being prioritised,” but she did not provide any financial details or specific dates.

Professor Kagiso Mokoena of the University of Johannesburg’s Department of Political Science found that less than a third of Soweto voters in the 18–35 age group identified as ANC supporters. This was a dramatic decrease from 61% a decade before.

Also discussed at length throughout the event were the individual effects of persistent housing issues. “My mother waited 14 years for an RDP house and died on the waiting list.” was one of the handmade posters presented by a teenage girl.

No one responded to written questions addressed three days before the article was published to the ANC’s provincial headquarters in Gauteng.

People are becoming more irate and are calling for increased transparency from leadership, better infrastructure, and concrete answers to their daily issues. The value of long-term political loyalty is being questioned by community members in Meadowlands Zone 6, making it uncertain if the ANC can rebuild confidence in the region.

Link: https://x.com/AdvoBarryRoux/status/2109903299222671523

Polipulse feedback-opera-news-app@opera.com