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S good news Head and shoulders above: Cape Town’s success could become a key issue in 2024 elections The apparent contrast between the level of services in Cape Town and the collapse of services in other metros could become a big political issue ahead of the polls. By Stephen Grootes W With all of the recent movements at the local government level and the proximity of the national and provincial elections, certain parties may now want to start campaigning on their track records in councils. This issue is likely to resonate strongly with voters – it is entirely rational to assess a party’s suitability for national office based on its record in local government. At the same time, the situation in many councils is now so bad that many voters will feel completely disillusioned with most of our parties. Except for the situation in the City of Cape Town. In press release after press release, the City of Cape Town is making progress. Last year, it announced it would be buying electricity from residents with rooftop solar installations, to add to its current mechanisms that stave off two stages of loadshedding. Residents in middle-class areas talk about how well their city works – there are anecdotes about power lines being repaired within hours, and potholes are a foreign concept. Some mention huge construction projects, a sign that investors believe the city has a strong future. There are also some indications that it is getting a bigger share of foreign direct investment than other areas. As some companies are leaving Durban, money is flowing to Cape Town. To listen to them is to hear a story of a city with infrastructure that works, an African city which is, in fact, world class. Success leads to success, so if your infrastructure works, you will get more investment. However, assessing the quality of life for a particular person or family in a particular area can be perilous. The commentariat in South Africa is usually focused on the middle-class life experience because that is the water in which it swims. And given our racialised inequality, it may be harder to conduct an objective assessment than in other societies. Simply put, in South Africa, your individual circumstances may matter much more than where you live. The more important question may be whether life for people in Khayelitsha is better than it is for people in Diepsloot. And even here, comparisons are very difficult. ROLLING BLACKOUTS, LIFE EXPECTANCY AND CRIME For example, it is true that people in all areas of Cape Town suffer less loadshedding than in other cities and are probably likely to experience it even less in the future if its plans to procure power from independent power producers are successful. It should be mentioned that a part of its success here is simply down to luck, as the DA cannot claim responsibility for the construction of the Steenbras hydro pump station in the 1970s. This is an obvious difference which can be objectively assessed. But there are also other data which can be used. For example, Statistics South Africa has confirmed that life expectancy in the Western Cape is higher than it is in other provinces. If it is true that Cape Town is doing better on important metrics than other councils, this will likely continue for some time. There will be much to ask about why it is that Cape Town is making progress. Those in its middle classes may point to its administration and the fact that it’s been run by the DA for 16 years. They may also suggest that the DA simply governs more effectively than the ANC or any other parties. Those in other parts of the city may disagree; they may point to the eviction policy followed by the city and suggest it is simply effective in keeping poor people away from the suburbs. But the fact that there has been consistency and stability in the city must matter. If you are confident of governing in an area for a 48 | Service magazine
good news S decade, you can make plans that will take 10 years to complete. The official who drew up a 10-year plan for a project would know they are likely to be there when it is finished. And for the moment, there is no serious opposition to the DA there — it won more than 58% of the vote in the 2021 local elections. The next biggest party was the ANC with just under 19%. Article courtesy of Daily Maverick SUCCESS LEADS TO SUCCESS Over time, this will start to have an important effect: success leads to success, so if your infrastructure works, you will get more investment, and more investment leads to better performance overall, which yields yet more investment. This can create momentum and allow a city to “pull ahead” of other areas in a troubled country. Meanwhile, other metros appear destined for a future of mismanagement, corruption and decay. The lack of investment in infrastructure over many years is now having an impact on all other metros – one can feel vital infrastructure in our big metros has reached a tipping point and is on the verge of collapse. There is also likely to be more instability in those metros over the next few years. In the short term, several may be about to change mayors again. But in the longer term, likely, voters will not give any single party a clear majority. This could lead to a long period of political instability and make the already sharp difference between Cape Town and everyone else even more obvious. And yet, what is clear is that the kitchen table issues around local government are receiving much more attention than in the past. S Service magazine | 49
