When a catastrophic accident cuts the first manned mission to Jupiter’s moons short in Astronaut: The Last Push, a 2012 American science fiction film – Michael Forrest, the sole remaining astronaut, must endure the three-year return trip to Earth alone.

Similarly, how will the next five-year journey of local governance in SA manifest itself? The responses from citizens will vary widely: from widespread cynicism to hope for a better future and from distrust of a dysfunctional system to the belief that service delivery will improve...