Ramaphosa urges ANC to prioritise skilled candidates for 2026 elections

President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on political parties, especially the ANC, to prioritise the deployment of skilled and ethical, candidates in the 2026 local government elections, warning that poor leadership and factional interference have eroded public trust and service delivery across municipalities.

Speaking at a special ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Boksburg, Ekurhuleni, Ramaphosa 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 the 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.

According to the Auditor-General’s latest reports, only a fraction of South Africa’s 257 municipalities received clean audits, with many plagued by irregular expenditure and leadership instability.

The President also pointed to the damage caused by fragile coalition governments, which he described as a major source of instability.

“Much of the instability at local government is attributed to volatile coalitions,” he said, endorsing the Municipal Systems Amendment Bill as a legislative step toward bringing much-needed governance stability.

As part of efforts to restore confidence and efficiency in local government, Ramaphosa revealed that the ANC has developed a draft action plan aimed at improving service delivery and infrastructure management in ANC-led areas.

The plan included monthly reporting, defined roles for councillors and mayoral committees, and stricter accountability measures.

“Once adopted, the action plan will be shared with our employees, setting out clear and measurable tasks, both in government and in the ranks,” he added.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

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