President Cyril Ramaphosa has outlined a comprehensive six-point plan focusing on municipal service delivery to rejuvenate South Africa’s struggling economy.
Speaking at the ANC’s 114th anniversary on Saturday, he highlighted the critical link between functional local government and economic growth, while addressing persistent challenges, including municipal load reduction despite the end of national load shedding.
Ramaphosa presented a detailed ANC NEC-prepared statement, which seeks to improve ailing infrastructure and various service delivery challenges across the country’s 259 municipalities.
He acknowledged that weak municipal governance and failing service delivery are among the main factors contributing to the decline in public trust in the ANC.
His announcement comes amid rising frustrations over inadequate service delivery, particularly in provinces like the North West, where communities grapple with crumbling infrastructure despite abundant resources like platinum.
Residents voiced their concerns over neglected roads, unrepaired potholes, and limited job opportunities, raising questions about the efficiency of provincial and local leaders.
Addressing a crowd at the Moruleng Stadium — home to over 20,000 spectators — Ramaphosa’s speech exhibited the energy of his supporters, yet highlighted the empty sections of the venue, a stark reminder of voter fatigue and the increasing disillusionment with unfulfilled promises.
“The first task is to fix local government. Secondly, we must speed up economic transformation to ensure economic growth and wage a war against crime and corruption, including the scourge of GBVF. We also call on the government to collaborate with our transitional leaders to build vibrant local economies and improve service delivery,” he stated.
Ramaphosa acknowledged that, despite the recent lifting of load shedding, the ongoing issue of municipal load reduction, where electricity is cut to densely populated areas due to overloaded infrastructure, continues to be a cause for concern.
“We have seen a dramatic improvement in electricity provision at Eskom. However, municipal load reduction remains a serious concern, as we continue to meet people who are complaining about this,” he remarked.
Ramaphosa’s message further touched on the ANC’s commitment to working alongside local governments, reinforcing the understanding that effective governance is instrumental in restoring public trust.
His comments were a direct response to the party’s contention that weak municipal governance is a prevailing barrier to his administration’s goal of regaining credibility among South Africans.
In what could be termed as his criticism of US President Donald Trump and right-wing forces from within the country, Ramaphosa did not shy away from addressing the threats posed by misinformation and foreign interference.
He condemned the actions of the Trump administration and their affiliates, who he asserted propagate falsehoods against South Africa for their own gain.
“Reversing the gains of our democracy has become their agenda. We will not allow ourselves to be divided. Instead, we must remain united and not allow anyone, whether here or around the world, to divide us,” he added.
