As South Africans prepare to head to the polls for the 2026 Local Government Elections on 4 November, the question of who represents our communities and how they do it is once again in the spotlight.

This election also presents an opportunity to look beyond traditional party politics. According to the Electoral Commission, 621 independent candidates were certified to contest ward seats nationally, offering voters an alternative to party-affiliated candidates.

But running as an independent candidate comes with its own challenges. Without the established structures, resources and campaign machinery of a political party, how do you build a campaign, reach voters and convince a community that you can represent its interests?

Today, we're joined by Sefudi Tsagae affectionately known as Ntate Sefudi to our POWER Listeners, who is contesting the election as an independent candidate.