South Africa: water at the center of the electoral debate

-
In Hammanskraal, South Africa's Gauteng province, daily challenges coexist with a tense electoral atmosphere as citizens prepare for the upcoming national elections.

The daily struggle begins early in Hammanskraal. At 8:30 a.m., a line of residents forms to fill buckets of drinking water from a tank provided by a humanitarian agency.

Contrary to what one might believe, this is not a remote rural community, but a peripheral district of the most advanced economic capital in Africa. Hammanskraal is just 50 kilometers from government buildings in Pretoria.

Hammanskraal's problems — lack of clean water, shortage of adequate housing and high unemployment — reflect the difficulties affecting millions of South Africans. This climate of discontent could trigger the biggest political change in 30 years in next week's national elections.

The ANC in danger

The African National Congress (ANC), once led by Nelson Mandela, has been in power since the end of apartheid in 1994. However, persistent poverty, the failure of government services in many areas and a sky-high national unemployment rate of 32% which mainly affects the country's black majority are seen as the main reasons for the ruling party's loss of support.

Recent polls show support for the ANC below 50% — and even as low as 40% — suggesting it could lose its parliamentary majority for the first time.

“I've been voting for 30 years, but I don't see any difference,” said Linda Mampuru, who lives in the Bridgeview area of ​​Hammanskraal. To compensate for the lack of water, Mampuru illegally connected to a municipal source so that she could at least do laundry. However, she does not trust this water for drinking or cooking.

A country at a crossroads

Hammanskraal also represents the complex political picture emerging in South Africa. Although many expect the ANC to fall below 50% of the vote due to frustrations, the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), does not appear to benefit significantly. Instead, South African voters are looking to a multitude of different parties, many of them new, for answers. According to the Independent Electoral Commission, 70 political parties are registered to participate in the national election.

South Africans vote for political parties in their elections. Parties then win seats in parliament based on their vote share, and lawmakers elect the president. The changing political landscape could lead to a coalition government for the first time, ushering in a new era.

Spirit of resilience

As residents of Hammanskraal trudge to the water tank to get their daily ration, the road is littered with election posters. Last year, a cholera outbreak killed more than 30 people after the water-borne disease contaminated the region's water supply.

Despite these challenges, there is a sense of hope and resilience among residents. Kaizer Letswalo, another Bridgeview resident, said: " I will support a new political party. I will vote for them because I think they can help us. If it fails, I will be disappointed. These other political parties have always made us promises, but after the elections, they turn their backs on us. This new party could perhaps bring us luck.

The situation in Hammanskraal is a microcosm of the wider challenges facing South Africa. As the country prepares for crucial elections, the expectations and hopes of citizens like Linda Mampuru and Kaizer Letswalo reflect a burning desire for change and improvement. The outcome of these elections could well determine the future of the rainbow nation.