ANC unveils manifesto pledging stronger local governance and service delivery
South Africa's ruling African National Congress (ANC) has launched its manifesto for the November 4 local government elections, with President Cyril Ramaphosa vowing to improve governance and service delivery across the country's municipalities.
At a rally in Diepsloot, north of Johannesburg, on Sunday, Ramaphosa unveiled the party's 2026 local government election manifesto, which pledges to focus on improving the provision of water, electricity and other basic services, strengthening local governance, promoting economic growth and job creation, building safer communities and fighting corruption, as reported by Lokmat Times.
Performance agreements for councillors
Ramaphosa announced that ANC mayors and councillors will be required to sign public performance agreements and a code of ethical conduct, incorporating targets and deadlines. He warned that those who fail to meet their responsibilities could lose their positions.
"Public representatives who do not fulfil their agreed responsibilities will be removed," Ramaphosa said, according to AllAfrica. He added that the party would no longer protect public representatives who fail to deliver.
"We don't want councillors and mayors who, after being elected, become disconnected from their communities," Ramaphosa said. "We want community engagement, community meetings, community report backs, community updates, and community mandate-seeking, so that we move in tandem with our people."
The party also promised a 100-day accountability plan for every councillor, with elected officials expected to publish their priorities and show measurable progress within the first three months in office.
Service delivery challenges
The manifesto launch comes as many communities across South Africa continue to face service delivery failures, including dry taps, sewage spills, uncollected rubbish, broken streetlights and crumbling infrastructure, according to AllAfrica. Reports from the Auditor-General have repeatedly raised concerns about poor financial management, wasteful spending and corruption in municipalities.
Ramaphosa said municipalities would be expected to deal with findings from the Auditor-General within 12 months, and presented the manifesto as an attempt to rebuild trust with frustrated communities.
Consultative approach and integrity measures
Ramaphosa said the party had consulted people across the country in drafting the manifesto, with input from the Congress of South African Trade Unions, the South African National Civic Organization, lawyers' organisations and residents of informal settlements, according to Lokmat Times.
The president also highlighted the ANC's integrity commission and its step-aside rule, under which members criminally charged in court with serious crimes, including corruption, are required to relinquish their positions until their cases are concluded.
Economic and safety commitments
The ANC pledged to turn municipalities into 'engines of development' by attracting investment and creating jobs. National and provincial governments would provide financial support to small businesses to help them start or sustain their operations.
Ramaphosa also stressed the importance of safety for business development, saying law enforcement agencies would work with Community Policing Forums to fight crime in streets, communities and on public transport. Local authorities would also help enforce immigration laws, and the government would employ 10,000 labour inspectors to visit companies to ensure compliance and verify that employees were legally in the country.
Political landscape
Ahead of the elections, the political landscape in Johannesburg features high-profile mayoral candidates, including the Democratic Alliance's Helen Zille, ActionSA's Herman Mashaba, and Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng of the Economic Freedom Fighters, AllAfrica reported.