Water crisis: What the ANC, DA, EFF and MK party promise ahead of the 4 November local elections

With less than a month before the 4 November elections, major South African parties including the ANC, DA, EFF, and MK Party have set out their plans to address the country’s escalating water crisis.

The ANC has pledged to invest at least 8% of the value of municipal assets in maintenance and renewal each year to combat failing infrastructure.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has focused on a strategy of private sector partnerships and financial recovery plans to stabilize municipal water systems, with mayoral candidates like Helen Zille emphasizing the need to fix billing systems and infrastructure to restore service delivery.

Other parties, including the EFF and the MK Party, have also made water security a central pillar of their local government manifestos, proposing various solutions ranging from tighter state control to alternative water sourcing.

As the election date approaches, the ability of these parties to provide concrete solutions to the water crisis is expected to be a decisive factor for voters across the country.