News24 | DA’s twin battle: Chabalala, Motsamai rally supporters for Emfuleni and Lesedi elections
Vanderbijlpark residents described how their lives have been turned upside down by rampant sewage that runs into their yards and then into streams that join rivers in Emfuleni.
Ntwaagae Seleka/News24
- DA mayoral candidates Kingsol Chabalala and Mokete Motsamai pledged to tackle service delivery challenges in Emfuleni and Lesedi ahead of the 4 November local government elections.
- Chabalala said the DA was determined to build on its victory in Emfuleni’s Ward 28, describing the result as the beginning of a new chapter for the party.
- Motsamai paid tribute to two DA members who lost their lives in Ratanda while fighting for access to water, saying their memory would carry the party to 4 November.
DA mayoral candidates Kingsol Chabalala and Mokete Motsamai have pledged to tackle persistent service delivery challenges in Emfuleni and Lesedi, promising improved water and electricity supplies, an end to sewage spillages, better roads and accountable municipal leadership ahead of the 4 November local government elections.
Addressing supporters at the party’s joint final rally in Heidelberg, the candidates called on residents to vote for change, saying communities had endured years of poor services, infrastructure problems and unfulfilled promises.
Chabalala said the DA was determined to build on its victory in Emfuleni’s Ward 28 on 27 May, describing the result as the beginning of a new chapter for the party.
“If they thought we made history on 27 May in Ward 28, then they have not seen anything yet,” he added.
Chabalala said Emfuleni residents were tired of unreliable water supplies, sewage flowing into homes and streets, poorly maintained roads and electricity disruptions affecting households and businesses.
READ | Emfuleni municipality spends R112m on waste collection with zero results
The municipality has also faced significant pressure due to its ageing infrastructure, failures at sewer pump stations, and recurring wastewater spills, while electricity supply problems and municipal debt have added to the challenges facing residents and businesses.
Chabalala said communities deserved reliable services, transparent municipal appointments and responsible management of public funds.
“Emfuleni does not need more excuses. Emfuleni needs solutions.”
The DA’s mayoral candidates in the Lesedi and Emfuleni local municipalities, Mokete Motsamai and Kingsol Chabalala.
Ntwaagae Seleka/News24
He also highlighted unemployment and limited economic opportunities, arguing that a functioning municipality was essential to attracting investment and creating jobs.
Motsamai said the DA’s campaign in Lesedi had focused on listening to residents in communities that included Kwazenzele, Vischkuil, Endicott, Aston Lake, Devon, Ratanda and Obed Nkosi.
He added that residents had raised concerns about poor service delivery, including sewage spilling from homes, while communities continued to demand reliable basic services and responsive municipal leadership.
Motsamai also recalled the fires in Ratanda, saying two DA members had lost their lives while fighting for access to water.
“We will not forget them. We carry them with us to 4 November,” he said.
Motsamai added that the DA would prioritise a consistent water supply, upgrades to the electricity network, addressing sewage spillages, clean municipal finances and infrastructure improvements aimed at attracting businesses and creating jobs.
He also pledged to root out corruption and ensure municipal revenue was spent responsibly.
“We will not promise food parcels. We will not make empty promises of jobs. We promise something better: a municipality that works for all,” Motsamai said.
With less than two weeks until the elections, both candidates urged supporters to intensify their door-to-door campaigns and mobilise voters.
They said residents deserved municipalities that delivered essential services, maintained infrastructure and treated public resources as a responsibility to the communities they served.
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