ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula was addressing the media following the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) meeting over the weekend in the Free State.
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FIKILE Mbalula, secretary-general of the African National Congress (ANC), has issued a firm warning: the era of cadre deployment of incompetent individuals in government positions is coming to an end.
Emphasising the ANC’s commitment to renewal, Mbalula vowed that only the "crème de la crème" will be appointed to key public roles moving forward.
Addressing the media following a meeting of the party’s national working committee (NWC) in the Free State on the weekend, Mbalula made it clear that the party is undertaking a comprehensive skills audit of all senior municipal managers across the province. This rigorous evaluation aims to ensure that qualified, capable, and competent officials lead local municipalities.
This will also be applied in other provinces where municipalities led by the ANC are struggling.
The meeting addressed pressing issues, including governance inefficiencies, declining public trust, and persistent service delivery challenges. A skills audit of senior municipal managers is already under way in the Free State, targeting critical areas where incompetence has had severe impacts on communities.
“The ANC will not tolerate cadre deployment that prioritises political connections over competence. Only those who can effectively deliver services will be retained or appointed,” Mbalula warned.
“The Local Government Interventions Task Team will also be deployed to assist struggling municipalities, provide technical support, and intervene where urgent action is needed,” he added.
The task team will focus on priority municipalities where service delivery failures have had the greatest impact on communities.
This initiative comes on the heels of recent controversies, notably the case involving senior municipal official Sam Makhubu, who allegedly signed an unlawful R27 million acknowledgment of debt benefiting his cousin’s company at the Maluti-A-Phofung Local Municipality in the Free State.
Mbalula highlighted the ANC’s broader renewal strategy as essential for rebuilding public confidence and aligning the party’s actions with citizens' aspirations.