Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

21 September 2026

3-minute read

As SA heads towards local government elections in November, communities across KZN want to know if their concerns are actually being heard. From water, service delivery and financial management to accountability, they are asking municipalities what is being done.

Anthony Waldhausen, CEO of the Msunduzi Association of Residents, Ratepayers and Civics, says that while political parties are hosting manifesto launches with a “top-down” approach addressing issues on a national level, they are not taking into consideration the issues facing the people on the ground in actual wards. Thus, their organization has developed a grass-roots initiative by the residents for the residents; a community manifesto to get residents to engage with the political parties and candidates in their wards and direct complaints to them.

A couple of months ago, the MARRC hosted three community dialogues facilitating a process with residents from wards 32, 33, and 41. Each ward outlined five priorities that will be engaged with the newly elected councillor to address the specific issues they are facing. Some of the issues raised were housing and land, income-generating opportunities, visible policing and emergency services, unemployment, crime, poverty programmes, maintenance and repair of infrastructure, service delivery, substance abuse and addiction, dysfunctional families and educational challenges.

“Asset-based community development” or the ABCD-method is another of MARRC’s strategies; engaging with residents for public participation to deal with and implement these issues. Within the manifesto are the five priorities one of which is what they expect from the councillor and another stating how the residents can hold the councillor accountable.

Finally, getting the councillors to sign up to the actual manifesto is a key priority. Anthony states that the councillor represents the actual people of his or her ward at council and is responsible for presenting issues at council meetings alongside the RDP and budgeting process.

As of next month, MARRC will return to the wards to hold public meetings with the councillors and candidates in that ward to educate and create awareness amongst residents. The IEC will also be asked to assist with voter education around the voting process.

Anthony suggests that other civic organizations across the country encourage communities and wards to take a “bottom-up approach” to outline issues to political councillors so that they can help implement solutions.

Listen to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and Anthony Waldhausen here.