President Cyril Ramaphosa declared 2026 a year of decisive action to fix South Africa's struggling municipalities, as the ANC seeks to halt its declining voter support ahead of local elections. Delivering the party's January 8 statement at a half-empty stadium in North West, he emphasised reconnecting with communities and implementing a 10-point plan. The address highlighted persistent issues like poor service delivery and corruption that have eroded public trust.
In North West province, a traditional ANC stronghold, President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed an almost half-empty Moruleng Stadium on January 8, 2026, for the party's annual statement. The venue, with a capacity of 20,000, saw logistical challenges including traffic delays and scorching heat, leading some attendees to leave early despite buses from provinces like Gauteng and Limpopo.
Ramaphosa focused on revitalising local government, calling it central to the ANC's strategy to reverse electoral losses. The party saw its national support drop 17 percentage points to 40% between 2019 and 2024, forming a Government of National Unity and losing majorities in key areas like Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. Auditor-General's 2023/24 report showed only 41 of 257 municipalities with clean audits, underscoring widespread failures in service delivery, water, electricity, and infrastructure.
"Local government remains the sphere closest to citizens’ daily lives... We cannot accept dysfunctional, apathetic, uncaring local government," Ramaphosa said, urging councillors to reconnect with wards and warning of removal for corruption or neglect. In September 2024, he told over 4,000 councillors in Soweto: "Without you doing anything, we are dead; we might as well pack up." He admitted DA-run municipalities often outperform ANC ones.
Senior ANC figures outlined implementation efforts. NEC member Pammy Majodina stressed monitoring, citing a six-month review and actions like the March 2025 Water and Sanitation Indaba. Thoko Didiza called for intentional execution with strong leadership and capacity building. Nomvula Mokonyane highlighted a 10-point plan for 2026, shifting to accountability.
Ramaphosa also addressed broader issues: ending load shedding through Eskom recovery, tackling youth unemployment at 32.9% in Q1 2025, defending black economic empowerment, fighting corruption via Zondo recommendations, and promoting the National Dialogue for constitutional celebrations. He pledged economic diversification and partnerships for job creation, tying local fixes to national renewal.
