Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

15 September 2026

3-minute read

With a crowded mayoral race, deep service delivery issues, and the possibility of a fragmented council, the question of who gets the keys to eThekwini looms large for Durban residents.

Having worked in the eThekwini municipality for 25 years, former senior eThekwini Municipal Official, Eric Apelgren says that beyond party logos and election campaigns, voters should be looking for the following when assessing candidates:

• Integrity
• Dedication
• Hard work
• Ability to serve all people
• Ability to work in a diverse environment
• To never be aligned with one particular group of people or a particular business
• To be both practical and academically efficient in order to understand and implement policies.

Even though the mandate of the local municipality is to provide services, candidates should also be finding solutions for service delivery problems like offering:

• Secure and affordable energy services,
• Clean, reliable water,
• Consistent wate removal with recycling,
• Job creation, and
• A safe and reliable road network with efficient storm water systems in place.

Furthermore, they should have a plan in place to remove red tape for businesses to operate, provide support to big businesses and offer the necessary support to small businesses. Another concern that needs to be addressed, especially with the upcoming rainy season, is to ensure that the experts are on standby with flood mitigation and disaster management plans.

Historically, while the ANC has always led the country, the situation now is that of coalitions, which is not necessarily “a bad thing,” says Eric. In Durban, where people from different backgrounds have always lived together, a coalition can work if there is a balance between the needs of the constituency and the needs of the broader society. There must be ways to train leaders to serve the people and have their best interests at heart, and efforts must be expended on exposing, arresting and interrogating those who are involved in corruption.

The majority want to do good, and we need to find a way to inspire and reignite people, particularly the youth, to participate in making the country great again, Eric emphasizes. “We have amazing people, we have an amazing country,” and each individual must motivate the people around him or her to make a difference and not give up on South Africa.

Listen to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and Eric Apelgren here.