As South Africa approaches its local government elections, anticipated to take place in 2026, African National Congress (ANC) President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on party members to prioritise the selection of effective and ethical candidates to serve in local governments. Speaking during the opening of the ANC Special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Boksburg, east of Johannesburg, Ramaphosa expressed grave concerns regarding the current state of local governance and the necessity for change.
The two-day session, designed to address urgent issues surrounding local government operations, sets the stage for a Roll Call meeting on Monday at the FNB Stadium. This gathering will feature over 6,000 councillors and mayors who will report on their achievements and challenges since the last elections in 2021.
Ramaphosa’s message was clear: the success of any government is judged by its ability to serve its citizens effectively. He spotlighted the alarming findings from the Auditor-General’s report, which indicated that only 41 of South Africa’s municipalities, or a mere 16%, achieved clean audits. The ANC leader highlighted that widespread corruption and mismanagement plague local governance, significantly undermining service delivery, and are often attributed to the ANC.
“The ANC must ensure that our candidate selection methods for the forthcoming Local Government Elections produce capable, qualified candidates of impeccable moral standing,” Ramaphosa stated. “As we stand here as the ANC, I call on all political parties to deploy skilled individuals who understand the nuances of local governance.”
His comments reflected a palpable anxiety over the consequences of municipal failures, which have contributed to a prevailing narrative suggesting that the ANC is declining as a party. “All too regularly, corruption, mismanagement, and a blatant lack of accountability have allowed dysfunctionality to persist, prolonging the suffering of many communities,” he remarked, pressing for urgent and bold decisions to rectify the situation.
Ramaphosa also emphasised strict measures for consequence management, urging that officials who fail to perform their duties or engage in corrupt practices must be removed immediately. “We should be clear and firm—those deployed must execute their tasks effectively or face removal. Acts of malfeasance should not be tolerated,” he stressed.
In tandem with the discussions concerning local governance, the ANC’s relationship with the South African Communist Party (SACP) is also on the agenda, albeit deferred for a future meeting. Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula revealed that while the fallout over the SACP’s decision to contest elections independently would be addressed next month, the ANC is committed to navigating its partnership with the party with conscious strategy and consideration.
As the ANC Special NEC wraps up on Sunday.