Local government is where politics gets real — your water, roads, rates, rubbish and electricity. But how much do we actually understand about the people and systems running our municipalities?
In a podcast brought to you by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, journalist Nickolaus Bauer cuts through the jargon, political noise and municipal mythology in South Africa’s Easy Elections Guide: Local Government 2026.
In this episode, he journeys to the Eastern Cape’s OR Tambo district municipality. It’s a politically important rural district, and one with economic potential: tourism, transport and logistics, and a special economic zone. While the ANC remains dominant, political fragmentation is increasingly giving voters more options. Still, there seems no doubt that the ANC will retain its dominance come November 4 — but will it be able to turn the region’s potential into something tangible for residents?