Voters face a crowded ballot in upcoming municipal polls

By Molaole Montsho

The forthcoming municipal elections are shaping up to be a complex and crowded contest, marked by political consolidation on one hand and an unmistakable surge of new, localised parties on the other.

Across the North West and beyond, established minor parties are opting to merge with larger formations in an effort to strengthen their electoral prospects, while newly formed movements, largely sceptical of national politics are positioning themselves as community-based alternatives focused squarely on local service delivery.

ActionSA has emerged as a key beneficiary of this consolidation. The Forum 4 Service Delivery has formally joined the party under its “green umbrella” campaign, bringing an end to its existence as an independent political organisation.

Its leader, Dr Mbahare Kekana, has since been appointed deputy president of ActionSA.

Similarly, the Botho Community Movement from Boitekong near Rustenburg has also folded into ActionSA.

The party’s sole councillor in the Rustenburg local municipality, Ofentse Kombe, now serves as ActionSA’s North West provincial secretary.

While some parties are seeking relevance through mergers, the broader political terrain is simultaneously becoming more fragmented. The Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) reports a steady rise in new party registrations since the 2024 general election.

According to the commission, 34 new political parties have been registered nationally, with 13 registrations recorded between July 26 and August 26, 2025 alone.

In total, the IEC has registered 514 political parties. Of these, 296 are registered to contest elections nationally, 13 at provincial level, 170 at district level and 35 at metropolitan level, figures that underscore both voter choice and growing political disaffection.

In the Bojanala District, two new formations, the Lethabong Service Movement (LSM) and the Rustenburg People’s Party (RPP) will contest municipal elections for the first time.

LSM founder and leader Pako Molatlhegi said the party was born out of prolonged frustration among residents of Lethabong, a community on the outskirts of Rustenburg.

“For many years, people here voted for different political parties without seeing any tangible benefits .The movement was formed to directly serve the interests of Lethabong residents,” he said.

He said Lethabong supported different political parties for 30 years and they did not reap any fruits from their votes.

“We then realised as children of Lethabong that the only way to fight for the development of Lethabong is to form an organisation that will focus on issues affecting residents directly, a community centred organisation “ Molatlhegi said.

RPP organiser Julius Melanzi echoed similar sentiments, arguing that national politics had become increasingly disconnected from the daily realities of local communities.

“National politics are no longer relevant to the issues people face on the ground,” Melanzi said, adding that although the party has a strong base in Rustenburg, it plans to contest all five municipalities in the Bojanala District.

Both Molatlhegi and Melanzi previously served as councillors in the Rustenburg municipal council. Molatlhegi resigned from the Economic Freedom Fighters to establish the LSM, while Melanzi was formerly a councillor for the Forum 4 Service Delivery.

Another new entrant in the province is the New Force, based in Boikhutso near Lichtenburg. IEC records indicate that the party is registered to contest elections at district level.

At provincial level, the African Spear Movement is the sole newcomer. Launched in Mahikeng on December 6, the party intends to contest elections across all four districts of the North West.

Party leader Tebogo Ramashilabele said the African Spear Movement was formed in response to what he described as decades of decline and neglect in the province.

“We established the party after recognising the serious deterioration in the state of the North West. Public infrastructure is crumbling, roads are in disrepair, and service delivery continues to decline. The people of this province deserve better leadership and real change,” he said.

The party has pledged to prioritise infrastructure development, revive agriculture, and re-establish teacher training colleges and industries that existed during the former Bophuthatswana homeland administration.

At national level, smaller formations are also entering the electoral fray. The Rustenburg-based Purple Party Ikageng has registered to contest, while Save South Africa, already represented in the Madibeng local municipality, currently holds three council seats.

As the election cycle gains momentum, the IEC said it would convene a series of information sessions aimed at registered but unrepresented political parties, as well as aspiring independent candidates, to prepare them for participation in the upcoming municipal elections.