By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) commenced with its special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on Saturday morning, which is scheduled to run over the next two days.
The gathering will focus on assessing the state of local government and initiating preparations for next year’s municipal elections.
After losing its electoral majority in all three Gauteng metros during the past two local government polls, the ANC is aiming to regain lost ground.
ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula, NEC members Pemmy Majodina and Kgosientsho Ramokgopa briefed journalists on the sidelines of the party’s NEC meeting in Boksburg.
Mbalula said, the meeting will focus on local government. It’s the NEC meeting that must produce the programme of intervention for local government. That meeting will culminate in a roll call of all ANC councillors on Monday.”
He stressed that it will serve as a “marching order” for accountability and service delivery.
The announcement comes as the ANC grapples with declining public trust following years of graft scandals.
“We are going to elevate water and sanitation interventions on our agenda. We want government, which is what they’ve done, to also elevate it. The minister will speak to the specifics in terms of the water challenges, municipality by municipality.”
Majodina acknowledged widespread project failures and mismanagement at municipal levels, where many water projects were contracted.
“There are projects that are incomplete… we have intervened and reclaimed those funds, she said. We are now sending implementing agents to complete these infrastructure systems.”
South Africa is currently facing one of its most severe water crises.
Majodina added that the department has launched a national maintenance programme for major water pipelines supplying Gauteng — including Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, and Tshwane — to stabilise the bulk water system.
However, she acknowledged a key failure: a lack of communication from municipalities during outages and repairs.
“When maintenance is done, people aren’t informed. That’s part of the crisis, “she admitted.
Earlier president Cyril Ramaphosa in his opening address, warned that the party’s credibility is at stake if it continues to allow unqualified or corrupt individuals into positions of local power.
They must deploy people who are capable, well-skilled and knowledgeable about local government and particularly about the challenges that our people are facing,” he said.
He added that ANC’s own internal processes must be protected from interference and malfeasance.
“Membership of the ANC comes with rights and duties… Part of those duties is to protect the stature and image of the ANC, but more importantly, to protect the interests of our people, “he said.
Ramaphosa’s comments come amid growing public frustration with dysfunctional municipalities, many of which suffer from poor financial management, decaying infrastructure, erratic water and electricity supply, and deeply entrenched corruption.
Survey after survey shows confidence in the ANC is scraping historic lows. The actions, will decide whether the ANC lives to write a new chapter of service, or fades into history’s shadows, remembered only for what it squandered.