Rustenburg - Rustenburg has never been a place for fierce election contests but all that may be about to change on Wednesday.
The municipality is home to three of the world's largest platinum producers. But global decline in commodity prices including platinum has seen the mining companies retrench workers in recent years increasing the burden of unemployment.
A few years ago Rustenburg was also the fastest growing city in the country largely owing to the contribution made by mining to its economy.
And ahead of the 2010 World Cup, Rustenburg became the only city outside the metros to plan the introduction of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.
The system's unfinished construction of bus stations on Wednesday stand as a reminder of grandiose plans and subsequent failure.
And all the parties contesting this election have promised Rustenburg a new beginning.
The ANC which has comfortably won the municipality with 60% of votes in 2011 identified the city as part of its strategic municipalities where the party named mayoral candidates early.
The rude awakening for the once all conquering ANC may have come in the 2014 national and provincial elections, when the party's share of the votes fell below 60% for the first time.
The combined opposition vote grew to over 40 percent for the first time. Incumbent Rustenburg mayor Mpho Khunou admitted that the ANC was “on the back foot in 2014”.
“It was not long after the Marikana debacle,” he said.
“And the (2014) elections took place during another devastating strike (by mine workers). The air was thick with anti-government sentiment. A lot of areas were no go zones for us then.”
Khunou however said all that has changed now and the ANC will get an “overwhelming majority” in Wednesday’s elections.
“At this point I am not so concerned about elections but the next five years,” said a confident Khunou. “We must get Rustenburg's economy on the right track especially in terms of diversification.”
But now there is also a new kid on the bloc in the form the community based Forum 4 Service Delivery, led by former prominent ANC members and community leaders. One such leader is Rocky Malebane Metsing who is its mayoral candidate in Rustenburg.
Metsing said although his forum of independent candidates had only two months of campaigning, he was satisfied they had garned enough support to dislodge the ANC from power.
“I am very confident that we've done enough work. We have put our message across and I am certain that we will get public sympathy and support,” he said.
“I think the emergence of the forum and the EFF who are taking part for the first time in this local election will bring out many voters to take part.”
The DA and the EFF have not put up mayoral candidates in Rustenburg but the parties are equally targeting the municipality and have said they are open to the potential of a coalition.
EFF provincial chair Betty Diale told Independent Media that her party had been working the ground to win many municipalities in the North West.
Whoever occupies the Rustenburg mayoral seat after the elections will find a city full of promise but mired in a lot of problems too.
Elections Bureau