Lessons on organisational transformation indicate that, often, when brands fail to live up to their values and ultimately fall out of favour, they undergo a creative destruction.

The grotesque and deliberate destruction of the once-pristine Vaal ecosystem and catchment area compels us to have a hard rethink about the primary measure of performance outcomes we must adopt for our municipalities.

All voters are keenly aware that South Africa desperately needs a new direction that can provide hope for a better future for all to put an end to what they have endured up to now.