Residents of Lekwa-Teemane in South Africa's North West province say council failures are making daily life worse, Daily Maverick reports from the area ahead of local elections on 4 November.
The municipality is among those the Auditor-General has identified as the worst-run of the country's 257. In its main towns, Bloemhof and Christiana, reporters found potholed roads, sewage leaking from burst pipes and residents complaining of frequent water and power cuts.
One community activist said water was often available only in the mornings and evenings, with cuts lasting up to four days, and that tankers had stopped coming. A sewer upgrade unveiled by the mayor in May 2025 appeared stalled, leaving open, water-filled trenches near a school.
Residents also said councillors rarely engaged with them. The activist is now standing as a ward candidate for Ace Magashule's African Congress for Transformation.
Source: Daily Maverick
