​Qaqambile Mdledle
President Cyril Ramaphosa says elected public representatives need to be out in communities, listening to their concerns and resolving their problems. 
In his weekly letter to the nation on Monday, Ramaphosa said local elections should not be about securing votes but have to be about ensuring the interests of communities are placed above all else.
"Accountable local government means maintaining a sustained public presence and an open-door policy, not just when election time comes around. Services must be delivered, and allocated budgets must be spent. When this does not happen as planned, elected officials must clearly explain why and show how and when problems will be fixed."
During his visits to Mpumalanga and Soweto over the weekend, President Ramaphosa noted that communities raised concerns that municipalities are slow to attend to their problems, did not keep communities updated about disruptions, and when services are cut off for non-payment, fail to inform them of their options in a manner or language they understand.
"Anger and frustration over having their electricity cut-off could have been avoided had thoroughgoing interactions with communities been embarked upon around issues such as illegal electricity connections, the vandalisation of electricity substations and the benefits of a prepaid electricity system."
When people are deprived of basic services without a proper explanation erodes public confidence in local government, Ramaphosa said.
Data from the Public Violence and Protest Monitor produced by the Institute for Security Studies show that of the 585 water and sanitation service delivery protests recorded between January 2013 and April 2021, 65% turned violent. 
The study shows that good and regular communication between municipalities and communities around planned disruptions and when they will be resolved prevented violence in some cases.​
The president also highlighted that citizens also have a democratic responsibility not to damage public infrastructure or to access services through illegal means.
"Communities must use their vote to deal with councillors with poor track records of meeting their promises. It is at local government level where our commitment to advancing human rights is measured the most."