ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa has vowed that newly elected ANC councillors and mayors will be expected to demonstrate improved performance and accountability within their first 100 days in office if the party retains control of municipalities following the November 4 local government elections.
Addressing the party’s Siyanqoba rally at Sisa Dukashe Stadium in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, on Sunday, Ramaphosa said the ANC was determined to end the culture of political office being treated as an entitlement rather than an opportunity to serve communities.
He said leadership should not be about status or personal advancement but about serving the interests of the people.
“Leadership is not about status. It is about service. It is not about personal advancement. Leadership is about serving the interests of our people,” Ramaphosa said.
He said ANC mayors and councillors would be expected to uphold ethical leadership, report regularly to communities and hold meetings where residents could raise their concerns.
Ramaphosa said the party wanted councillors who were known for working for their communities rather than simply being popular.
He said the first 100 days of a new term should demonstrate renewed energy and accountability, with councillors focusing on addressing challenges such as water shortages, electricity supply and unemployment.
“We want our councillors, our mayors to address the current existential challenges our people are facing,” he said.
Ramaphosa acknowledged that the ANC had not achieved everything expected of it, despite the work it had done since coming into government.
He said the party recognised that many South Africans remained dissatisfied with the pace of service delivery and that it needed to work harder to improve people’s lives.
“We have had shortcomings. We have done a lot of work, but we have not yet reached where people expected us to be,” he said.
He said the ANC was ready to do more, with its election manifesto placing economic growth, investment and job creation among its priorities.
Ramaphosa said government was working to attract investment into the country to stimulate economic activity, build factories and create employment opportunities, particularly for young people.
He said the government wanted more people aged between 18 and 35 to access employment, while also creating opportunities for older people.
He further highlighted the government’s planned R1 trillion infrastructure investment, saying the money would be directed towards projects such as housing, dams, roads and other infrastructure needed to support economic growth.
Turning to local government, Ramaphosa said municipalities should become centres of investment and economic development rather than places where communities struggled to access basic services.
He said councillors would be expected to attract investors to their respective areas, support local businesses and ensure that municipalities paid service providers on time.
He also called for more opportunities for young people and women to establish businesses.
Ramaphosa acknowledged the pressure caused by the rising cost of living, saying government was aware that South Africans were struggling with increasing prices.
He referred to the recent announcement by the Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana on reduction in petrol and diesel prices, saying government wanted to demonstrate that it was listening to the concerns of ordinary citizens.
The ANC president also credited the ANC-led government for South Africa’s extended period without load-shedding, claiming the country had reached 500 days without power cuts.
He said the government had made progress in expanding access to education, healthcare, social protection and basic services.
Ramaphosa also highlighted the school nutrition programme, claiming that nine million children received meals at school every day.
However, he said the country’s democratic journey remained incomplete, with poverty, unemployment and vulnerable communities continuing to present major challenges.
With the elections just days away, Ramaphosa urged ANC supporters and volunteers not to assume that the party had already secured victory.
He said the party had learned from the 2024 national and provincial elections, when many registered voters did not turn out to vote, partly because they believed the ANC would win regardless.
He called on the party’s volunteers to intensify their mobilisation efforts until the final minute of the campaign.
Ramaphosa said each ANC volunteer should mobilise at least 10 people to vote, while ensuring that those registered for special votes were assisted.
He also urged volunteers to help elderly and other eligible voters who needed assistance getting to polling stations.
“We must never take it for granted that the ANC has already won,” he said.
He claimed that the ANC had 500,000 volunteers across the country and called on them to use their numbers to mobilise voters ahead of Wednesday’s elections.
“This is an election that the ANC must win,” Ramaphosa said.
The Siyanqoba rally marked the ANC’s final major campaign push in the Eastern Cape ahead of the November 4 local government elections.