With the 2016 Local Government Elections less than two weeks away, political campaigning in the Western Cape is intensifying as politicians vie for votes. Amid growing public frustration with the current political landscape, this election is expected to be a hotly contested one.

In the build-up to the elections, VOC will host a public debate with the main contenders in the province – the Mayoral candidates for the ANC, DA, EFF, COPE and Al-Jamaah parties. The debate is being hosted in partnership with Radio Islam and ITV, and will be broadcast live on their respective platforms. The event will be held at the Islamia Auditorium in Lansdowne on Wednesday 27 July at 8pm.

Party representatives will be challenged on key issues such as their party manifestos, service delivery, corruption, inequality and the socio-economic conditions relevant to the Western Cape. The live audience will be allowed to pose questions directly to the party representatives.

According to the IEC, the highest number of political parties contesting the elections is in the Western Cape with 77. More than 7,000 candidates will contest the local government elections in the Western Cape on 3 August. Cape Town’s metro has the longest proportional representation ballot paper, with 37 parties. This election has also seen a substantial increase in independent candidates, who feel they want to make a difference in their own communities without being subjected to party politics.

“The election race has been fierce. Already, we have seen political violence in parts of the country and in the Cape there is infighting in many parties as contenders vie for positions. The aim of the debate is to look past the politicking and address the bread-and-butter issues facing our communities. Our politicians need to fight for our vote,” says VOC’s organising team.

VOC has increased its election coverage throughout the past month with a weekly show called Election Watch on a Monday and Tuesday at 7pm. Political parties have been rounded up to discuss key issues, while ward candidates are also being given a platform to speak to their constituencies. The Breakfast Beat show profiles small political parties every Friday morning, while Sunday Live opens the debate to listeners to interact on election matters they feel is relevant.

Wednesday’s debate is open to the public. If you are interested in attending, RSVP to news@vocfm.co.za