As South Africa heads towards the 2026 Local Government Elections, voters are not only choosing between established political parties. For the first time in local government elections, independent candidates are also entering the contest, offering voters an alternative to party-based politics. Contestant have to convince voters that they can represent community interests without the structures, resources and political machinery of a party. At the same time, they must demonstrate that they have a clear programme for addressing the everyday challenges facing residents from water and roads to jobs, housing, service delivery and accountability. Ntwanano Vuma spoke to Malai Dosto.