JOHANNESBURG, Jan 10 – South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called on the African National Congress to address long-standing service delivery failures as the country prepares for local elections later this year. Speaking at a televised event in Rustenburg, Northwest Province, to mark the ANC’s 114th birthday, Ramaphosa said improving local government must be the party’s first priority in 2026.
The ANC, which co-rules the country, often performs worse in local polls than at the national level as citizens vent frustrations over poor water supply, sewage leaks, and deteriorating roads. In the 2021 local elections, the party received less than half of the votes for the first time since 1994.
“Municipalities must fulfill their basic obligations. They must fix potholes, remove refuse regularly and provide clean water and sanitation,” Ramaphosa said.
The president noted that while national power shortages have eased, some municipalities still experience local outages. He announced a 54 billion rand allocation for water and power infrastructure improvements.
Despite South Africa’s diplomatic successes and progressive constitution, many citizens continue to face challenges in everyday services. Ramaphosa also warned that unemployment remains high and younger generations are increasingly questioning whether the current democratic system benefits them.
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