Media Statements

The African National Congress (ANC) convened a Special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting on 13-14 September 2025, followed by a historic Roll-Call meeting of all ANC councillors, today, the 15th of September 2025. These engagements were not ordinary administrative gatherings; they represented a solemn reaffirmation of the ANC’s covenant with the people of South Africa. At the centre of both meetings was a renewed commitment to ensure that the lives of our people are better, that they live in communities which are clean, safe and vibrant, and that every household has access to quality basic services.

The Roll-Call meeting was a powerful demonstration of accountability in action. The ANC councillors were required to stand before the movement and account for their work in their respective communities, as part of our monthly community meetings in each ward across the country. This process is not symbolic, but a serious reflection of the ANC’s intent to restore integrity, discipline and focus to its public representatives. It reminded every councillor that the mandate of the ANC flows directly from the people and that the highest measure of

success is the daily improvement in the quality of life of those they serve.

The Ekurhuleni Pledge: A Guiding Light This recommitment is not new. It finds its roots in the pledge that ANC councillors first undertook in Ekurhuleni 2021, a pledge that has since become a guiding light for all councillors across the country. The Ekurhuleni Pledge was not merely a ceremonial oath; it was a moral and political covenant with our people. It called for honesty, accountability, transparency and dedication. It insisted that ANC deployees must be competent, action-orientated and focused on service delivery.

Through that pledge, the ANC committed itself to delivering services promptly and consistently, to rebuilding safer and healthier communities, and to stimulate local economies so that people’s livelihoods can be sustained. The pledge also underlined the importance of listening to the people, of keeping channels of communication open, and of ensuring that leaders remain present and accessible. Equally, it made clear that

partnerships with Traditional leaders, religious, civic and community organisations, NGOs and the private sector are essential for addressing the challenges facing our communities. Above all, the pledge confirmed the ANC’s uncompromising stance against corruption, nepotism and all forms of malfeasance, and its resolve to ensure that resources are used only for their rightful purpose, to serve the people. To this end, there has been heightened investigations against all forms of corruption as evidenced by the President’s signing off SIU proclamations, a record high than any other President previously.The Ekurhuleni Pledge continues to serve as a directive and moral compass for ANC councillors. It is now expanded into a comprehensive plan of action, shaped by the NEC and aligned with the urgent need for accelerated service delivery.

Achievements Registered in Local Government

The ANC has acknowledged the some failures and progress that has been made. Through government and ANC-led interventions, the number of stable municipalities has increased. Targeted measures to address municipal debt with Eskom and Water Boards have yielded results in restoring financial viability in certain areas. Presidential working groups in eThekwini and Johannesburg have provided valuable governance support. The rollout of the District Development Model has brought more integrated planning and service delivery closer to communities.

Important strides have been made in electrification, in extending access to clean water, in sanitation projects, and in the issuing of housing title deeds. The establishment of service delivery monitoring mechanisms, including War Rooms, has created structures through which communities can hold leaders accountable and through which problems can be escalated and resolved. These achievements provide a foundation upon which the ANC can now build.

Accelerated Action for Service Delivery

Recognising both the achievements and the challenges that remain, the NEC adopted an Accelerated Service

Delivery Action Plan, referred to as the War Plan. This plan is designed to deliver visible improvements within three, six and twelve months, with the clear intention of restoring confidence in local government. It places service delivery, community engagement and infrastructure development at the very heart of the ANC’s renewal agenda.

The War Plan is anchored on five interconnected pillars. The first pillar is the fulfilment of core service delivery commitments, including the provision of clean water, proper sanitation, regular refuse removal, reliable electricity supply, improved road maintenance, housing delivery and the issuing of title deeds. The second pillar focuses on building effective and sustainable infrastructure through increased investment in maintenance, expansion of water and energy storage capacity, prevention of vandalism and the development of critical technical skills.

The third pillar is about creating capable and stable local government institutions. This requires strengthening governance, stabilising administrations, modernising billing and debt recovery systems, attracting skilled professionals, and dealing decisively with corruption. The fourth pillar emphasises the need to reconnect with people and restore trust. This involves citizen-facing War Rooms, public hotlines, community campaigns, door-to-door visits and regular public meetings.

It is complemented by initiatives such as the ANC Day of Community Service and closer collaboration with community-based formations and traditional leaders. The fifth pillar addresses inclusive local economic development, job creation and industrialisation. It calls for increased support for township and village enterprises, SMMEs and informal traders, alongside a focus on job creation for young people and women.

2Detailed and Instructive Roll-call

The Roll-Call meeting concluded with clear, detailed and uncompromising marching orders for all ANC councillors. Every councillor was instructed that service delivery is not an abstract policy, but the daily lived reality of communities, and therefore must be the first and foremost priority. Councillors are expected to spend less time in offices and more time among the people. They are directed to hold regular ward-based public meetings and to account directly to communities for their actions and decisions. They must be accessible, responsive and constantly visible in the areas they represent.

The NEC directed councillors to ensure that by the end of the next one hundred days, visible progress must be registered in core service delivery areas. Potholes must be repaired, refuse must be collected on schedule, water leaks must be fixed without delay, and street lights must be functional. Where housing projects have stalled, councillors must engage with communities and government departments to remove blockages and ensure progress. No ward should be left without clear signs that the War Plan is being implemented.

Councillors were further instructed to lead by example in restoring discipline, humility and integrity in public life.

They must not only reject corruption and nepotism, but actively expose and report it wherever it occurs, even within ANC structures. They must demonstrate servant leadership, placing the people’s needs above personal interests. They are to ensure that municipal resources are managed prudently and directed to projects that improve the quality of life of ordinary residents.

The NEC also reminded councillors that they are not just local representatives, but political leaders charged with building trust between communities and the ANC. They were instructed to reconnect with residents through door-to-door visits, problem-solving campaigns and listening programmes. Councillors must rebuild community confidence by showing that the ANC is not distant, but present and responsive. This requires constant communication, open feedback channels, and a willingness to confront difficult issues honestly.

Councillors were told that they must champion local economic development initiatives, supporting small businesses, cooperatives, township and village enterprises, and ensuring that women and youth are prioritised in opportunities for employment and development. They were directed to work closely with civil society, faith-based organisations and traditional leaders to create inclusive partnerships for development.

Finally, councillors were reminded that accountability is not negotiable. They must report monthly to ANC structures, participate actively in War Rooms, and subject themselves to performance reviews. Those who fail to meet the standards of delivery, discipline and service set by the ANC will be removed, for the movement cannot afford to carry leaders who fail the people.

The ANC calls upon all South Africans, including labour, business, faith-based institutions, community organisations and traditional authorities, to join hands in this collective effort. The challenges before us are great, but together they can be overcome. The War Plan is not simply a party document; it is a national call to action. It is about building municipalities that are accountable, capable, responsive and people-centred.

The ANC through its pledge, showed the way. The NEC has now expanded this into a national programme of renewal and service. Through unity, discipline, accountability and collective effort, the ANC believes we can overcome the difficulties that confront us and deliver on the promise of a better life for all

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