Elections 2024: On the road
Go on the road with Daily Maverick‘s journalists as they tell the story of South Africa’s often overlooked towns this election season.
Shape of things to come — instead of quick and bloody revolution, a slow and steady evolution
With voting due to begin on Wednesday morning and the election results expected this weekend, it is time to consider which direction our politics is moving in. While, on current predictions, there are no concrete numbers, certain trends are becoming more evident. And one province in particular, KwaZulu-Natal, points to what our political future looks like.
Clarens — the town that knows it won’t have load shedding after the polls
The ‘jewel of the Free State’, Clarens, shows what keeps small-town South Africa working when the government goes AWOL.
Umlazi — the KZN township haunted by rampant nightly gunfire and morning-after body count
The streets of Umlazi teem with people — even during the week. The reason is the area’s high levels of unemployment and poverty and the social challenges that come with that. It’s one of the murder and rape capitals of South Africa.
‘We want change’ — Vhembe residents weigh up electoral choices amid battle for basic services
In the northeastern corner of South Africa, nestled in rolling green hills between the borders of Mozambique and Zimbabwe, Venda — also known as Vhembe — is rich in culture. However, its communities face significant challenges, from service delivery to nepotism.
Politics of the forgotten — Hutchinson residents ponder change in a Karoo town marooned by time
In Hutchinson, a small town just inside the Northern Cape, residents have long felt cut off from opportunities for work and development. Despite its position in an ANC-dominated region, some believe the upcoming election could be a chance for change.
Misery on tap in Limpopo — ‘I have spent my whole life struggling to get water’
The daily lives of residents in rural Limpopo are centred on getting water to their homes.
Groblersdal and its township — a tale straight out of the old South Africa
While legislated racism may have been eradicated after South Africa’s first democratic election in 1994, a racial hierarchy still permeates the town, echoes of the legacy left behind by the apartheid regime.
ANC deploys big guns into battle for Groutville, hometown of Chief Albert Luthuli
With KwaZulu-Natal shaping up to be the province most vulnerable to Jacob Zuma’s MK party, the ANC has gone on the offensive in the symbolically important Groutville.
Tough electoral choices for Phoenix residents who feel neglected and forgotten
Residents of the predominantly Indian community of Phoenix in Durban are frustrated with their living conditions and believe they have been forgotten by the government.
In tourist town Plett, the battle lines have been drawn against inequality
The streets of Plettenberg Bay are awash with political party posters. They adorn lamp posts along the town’s main drag, in less affluent areas and along the N2. This part of the Garden Route, stretching from the Eastern Cape border with the Western Cape to Harkerville, is home to people who are divided not only by a national road, but also by an inequality gap.
Tulbagh troubles — residents in SA’s fourth-oldest town feel neglected … but will vote
Old and young residents of Tulbagh in the Western Cape say the government should be doing more to protect their interests.
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