ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa has warned that ANC mayors and councillors will be expected to deliver results within their first 100 days in office if the party wins control of municipalities in the November 4 local government elections.
Ramaphosa was speaking at the ANC’s local government election manifesto launch at Riverside Park near Diepsloot, Johannesburg, on Sunday, where the party outlined its priorities for the next five years.
He said every ANC-controlled council would develop a localised manifesto addressing the specific needs and challenges of its community.
“Our representatives will develop a localised manifesto for every council, addressing the specific strengths and challenges of each community,” he said.
Ramaphosa acknowledged the challenges facing the ANC and said representatives who failed to fulfil their responsibilities would be removed.
ANC Promises Reliable Water, Electricity And Basic Services
Ramaphosa said the ANC’s first priority would be ensuring that residents have access to reliable and affordable municipal services.
“Every community must have reliable water, sanitation, electricity, roads, refuse removal and well-maintained infrastructure as the foundation of dignity and development,” he said.
He said municipalities would repair ageing infrastructure, address water leaks and sewage spills, improve wastewater treatment and expand access to clean water and sanitation.
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The party also plans to improve municipal electricity networks, reduce outages, expand smart metering and improve fault response times.
Ramaphosa said the ANC would work to reduce the reliance on contractors while increasing the capacity of municipalities to perform essential functions themselves.
He also promised fairer municipal tariffs, more accurate billing and efforts to reduce water and electricity losses.
The ANC plans to protect and expand free basic services for qualifying households, while also increasing internet access through connectivity projects and free public Wi-Fi at municipal facilities.
Jobs, Investment And Safer Communities
The ANC’s second priority is local economic development, with Ramaphosa saying municipalities must create conditions for investment, enterprise growth and job creation.
He said the party would support township and rural economies, including sectors such as manufacturing, agriculture, agro-processing, tourism, fisheries, the creative economy and digital and green industries.
Municipalities would also be expected to digitise services and improve turnaround times for planning approvals, building plans, rezoning and licensing.
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The third priority focuses on safer, cleaner and healthier communities.
Ramaphosa said the ANC would work with law enforcement and communities to improve safety, tackle illegal dumping and maintain public spaces, including parks, taxi ranks, sports facilities and community halls.
The party also plans to strengthen support for victims of gender-based violence and improve access to Thuthuzela Care Centres, shelters and victim support services.
Ramaphosa said the ANC would continue efforts to address hijacked buildings and unlawful occupations.
“We will tackle slumlords and criminal syndicates and restore buildings to safe use for affordable housing, student accommodation and community facilities,” he said.
ANC Targets Corruption And Poor Municipal Finances
The fourth priority is improving municipal finances and ensuring public money is used responsibly.
Ramaphosa said the ANC would work to improve revenue collection, billing, expenditure controls, procurement and contract management while addressing unfunded budgets.
“Every rand collected from residents and every rand transferred to a municipality must be managed responsibly, protected from waste and corruption, and used to deliver services and improve communities,” he said.
The fifth priority is building municipalities that are stable, ethical and accountable.
Ramaphosa said ANC representatives would be required to sign Public Performance Agreements and a Code of Ethical Conduct, undergo regular performance assessments and report to communities.
He reiterated that public representatives who failed to meet their responsibilities could be removed.
“They will be expected to lead with integrity,” he said.
The ANC also plans to strengthen supply chain governance, prevent conflicts of interest and require municipalities to act on Auditor-General findings within 12 months.
Councils would also be expected to publish information on budgets, procurement, audit outcomes, performance and corrective action in accessible formats.
ANC Promises Greater Community Participation
The sixth priority focuses on making municipalities more responsive to residents.
Ramaphosa said communities should have a meaningful role in decisions involving municipal priorities, budgets and plans.
“Local government belongs to the people. Communities must have a real voice in decisions that affect their lives,” he said.
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The ANC also plans to strengthen engagement with traditional and Khoi-San leaders, including through engagements with the Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) and royal formations.
Ramaphosa said the party’s representatives would have to begin delivering as soon as they take office, with the first 100 days serving as an early test of their performance.
