By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged that weak municipal governance and failing service delivery are among the main factors contributing to the decline in public trust in the African National Congress (ANC).
Delivering the ANC January 8 statement at the Moruleng Stadium to mark its founding 114 years ago, Ramaphosa highlighted the empty sections of the venue, a stark reminder of voter fatigue and the increasing disillusionment with unfulfilled promises.
Thousands of party supporters packed the stadium on Saturday, while many others were stranded outside due to severe traffic congestion. Supporters were stuck for hours on roads leading to the venue, with some resorting to walking long distances to beat the traffic.
Ramaphosa touched on the ANC’s commitment to working alongside local governments, reinforcing the understanding that effective governance is instrumental in restoring public trust.
The statement outlined six key areas for 2026, including a war on crime and corruption, with gender-based violence treated as a national disaster.
Ramaphosa issued a stern warning that all members will be required to campaign for the party ahead of local government elections later this year.
In the 2021 local election, the ANC won less than half of the votes for the first time since the 1994 end of white minority rule, in what turned out to be a forerunner for national polls less than three years later when the party lost its majority.
“We want to make it clear: all ANC members will be required, as per the (party) Constitution, to campaign for ANC victory in the forthcoming local government elections,”
“There must be no confusion. Winning the local government elections decisively will enable the ANC to lead communities in the forward march towards a truly non-racial, non-sexist, democratic, united and prosperous society.”
Ramaphosa said the party must acknowledge its weaknesses and failures, including poor service delivery, governance challenges, the slow pace of economic growth and high levels of unemployment, which have demoralised and alienated many communities.
He said the ANC could not blame people for questioning whether democracy, the Constitution, the economy and even the ANC and its alliance partners truly worked for them.
“Too often, public trust in local government is undermined by councillors who are distant from their constituents and perceived as unresponsive to local problems. It is imperative that ANC councillors reconnect with their wards and restore public trust,” he said.
Ramaphosa reiterated that ANC councillors must build close working relationships with community organisations to ensure two-way communication, engagement and feedback on local issues.
He added that renewal must be both personal and organisational, saying individual ANC members must demonstrate through their daily conduct that they represented the best values of the movement.
“We must once again be known for upholding the highest standards of excellence, integrity, humility, hard work and competence,” he said.
“We will run the ANC strictly, with zero tolerance for corruption, ill-discipline and factionalism. We will govern our country effectively, ethically and competently.”
Cosatu president Zingiswa Losi said, “the reality is that unemployment still steals the future of our children. Poverty still humiliates working families.
“The people of this country did not struggle for freedom without dignity, the people of this country did not vote for democracy without jobs.
“The people of this country did not build the African National Congress so that inequality could remain unchanged.”
Losi warned that the tripartite alliance — between Cosatu, ANC and the South African Communist Party (SACP) — is not a partnership of convenience, saying it should produce tangible results that improve the lives of South Africans.