Residents in Braamfischerville’s Wards 44 and 49 continue to grapple with water shortages, leaking water and sewer pipes, crime and inadequate street lighting, despite voting for the African National Congress (ANC) in the recent Local Government Elections.
Residents who spoke to Newsnote this week expressed frustration over persistent service delivery challenges, with some calling for urgent intervention while others said they had lost hope in the government.
“We are just tired. This government is not doing anything for us. That is why we don’t vote,” one resident said.
Despite these complaints, the ANC retained both wards, securing 34% in Ward 44 and 31.5% in Ward 49. ActionSA and the Democratic Alliance (DA) also secured proportional representation (PR) seats.
However, residents hold differing views about the ANC’s performance and the possibility of a change in political leadership.
Resident Sello Lekgetho acknowledged the community’s challenges but said he believed the ANC had done what it could under the circumstances.
“Our problems in Braamfischerville include leaking water pipes, water shortages, inadequate street lighting and crime. Another problem is that, as Africans, we are failing and being left without hope. We do not know whether we lack wisdom,” he said.
Lekgetho called on residents to unite and work together rather than fight among themselves.
“The community needs to come together, work together and stop fighting among themselves because the government has money. It’s not that the government does not have money,” he said.
Assessing the ANC’s performance, Lekgetho said there was still room for improvement.
“They have done what they could. Out of 10, I give them six. There are still areas that need more attention. We need to work together and avoid running an autocracy. There is no way the government is refusing to provide funds. A councillor cannot be telling us that the government does not have money,” he said.
He also praised the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), describing its election processes as advanced compared with those in other parts of the continent.
“Our IEC is advanced when it comes to elections throughout the whole continent, so the voting is okay,” he said.
Meanwhile, resident Nkosona Mpama welcomed the possibility of the DA taking over the City of Johannesburg, expressing hope that a change in leadership could improve governance and service delivery.
“We want better services because you sometimes wake up in the morning and there is no electricity, perhaps from around 9.30 am, and the water is also gone,” he said.
Mpama said the interruptions made it difficult for residents to carry out their daily household chores.
He also raised concerns about inadequate street lighting and dirty streets that were not cleaned regularly.
However, not everyone believes a change in political leadership would address the community’s problems.
Another Braamfischerville resident, who supports the ANC, argued that the DA would not necessarily bring the change residents were hoping for.
The resident compared the DA’s growing support to the EFF’s previous popularity, saying that political promises had not translated into meaningful improvements in residents’ lives.
“There was a time when the EFF was popular here. Now the DA is calling the shots, but nothing will change,” the resident said.
According to the election figures, the DA is the largest party in the City of Johannesburg, with 35% of the vote, followed by the ANC with 20%, ActionSA with 16% and the EFF with 6.5%.
