EENDUIN, Northern Cape — As the final voter registration weekend unfolds in the Northern Cape, residents of Eenduin are using the opportunity to highlight pressing service delivery issues ahead of the November 4 election. Located in the Kai !Garib Local Municipality within the ZF Mgcawu District, this rural farming community is urging political parties and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) to address critical gaps in youth employment, water supply, and electricity.
Eenduin is a small rural town situated just outside Kakamas. The area is primarily inhabited by farm laborers working in the lower Orange River region, where table grapes are extensively cultivated for the export market.
The local municipality, which encompasses towns such as Keimoes, Kakamas, and Kenhardt, covers a vast geographic expanse of approximately 250 kilometers from one town to the next. This massive area faces significant service delivery hurdles, including persistent water quality concerns and an ongoing financial dispute with Eskom. Municipal leadership is currently battling the power utility over millions of rand in reportedly unpaid debts, which has further complicated local service provision.
Currently, around 30,000 residents are registered to vote in this municipality. The IEC is actively working to expand this number by encouraging first-time voters to register before the November 4 polls. To facilitate this, the commission has been engaging with the commercial agricultural sector to secure access to farms, allowing them to set up dedicated registration points and voting stations for farmworkers.
Cyril van der Byl, a first-time voter, described the registration process as a positive and necessary experience, emphasizing that youth participation is critical for change. “We as the youth of today need to register because we find it very difficult to get any job or any kind of opportunity in life,” van der Byl stated.
When asked about the key issues influencing his voting decision, van der Byl pointed to severe service delivery failures. He highlighted the lack of reliable water and electricity supply, accumulated litter in the community, and a dire need for basic security lighting. “We just need one spotlight for this community because there is a lot of theft and all sorts of crimes going on,” he explained, noting that providing basic lighting, water, and electricity would be a vital starting point for the area.
Echoing these sentiments, another local voter, Mr. van Neel, stressed the importance of participating in the electoral process. When outlining the factors that will determine his voting choice, he cited local security issues and concerns regarding the “palate fund” as primary deciding factors for the community.
As the election period officially kicks off, political parties are expected to begin door-to-door campaigns in the region. For the residents of Eenduin and the broader Kai !Garib municipality, these upcoming engagements will serve as a crucial platform to demand accountability on job creation, infrastructure, and basic service delivery from future leadership.
