Media Statement

The African National Congress has undertaken a comprehensive assessment and review of the implementation of the commitments contained in its 2021 Local Government Elections Manifesto. This review is an act of political accountability by a movement that derives its mandate, legitimacy, and historic mission from the people of South Africa.

The 2021 Manifesto was adopted at a moment of extraordinary national difficulty. Our country was emerging from the most devastating phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. Municipal finances had been weakened, unemployment and poverty had deepened, infrastructure backlogs had accumulated, and many communities were losing confidence in the capacity of local government to perform its most basic functions. The ANC went to the people conscious of these realities and made a solemn undertaking to rebuild local government and place it firmly in the service of the people.

The Manifesto was therefore not a collection of electoral slogans. It was a covenant with communities and a programme of action flowing from the historic objectives of the National Democratic Revolution: to build a united, non-racial, non-sexist, democratic and prosperous society; to overcome the spatial, social and economic legacy of colonialism and apartheid; and to improve, in a sustained and measurable manner, the material conditions of the poor and working class.

As a liberation movement and governing party, the ANC has a duty to return to the people and account.

Through these Manifesto report back sessions, we account on what has been achieved, what remains incomplete, where implementation has been uneven and where our own weaknesses have frustrated the aspirations of communities. This assessment is there an instrument of renewal, correction, and intensified action.

THE BALANCE SHEET OF DEMOCRATIC TRANSFORMATION

Any honest assessment must begin from the material reality inherited in 1994. Apartheid local government was designed to serve a racial minority, entrench spatial separation and deny the African majority access to land, housing, infrastructure, and economic opportunity. The democratic state inherited fragmented municipalities, grossly unequal revenue bases and an infrastructure system deliberately concentrated in white communities and commercial centre.

Against this inheritance, the democratic government has undertaken one of the largest programmes of social provision in our history.

• Household access to electricity increased from 76.7% in 2002 to 90.6% in 2025.
• Access to improved sanitation rose from 61.7% to 84% over the same period.
• By 2024, 87.7% of households had access to piped or tap water on-site or off-site.
• The proportion of people living in formal dwellings increased from 65.1% in 1996 to 88.5% in 2022, while the proportion living in informal dwellings declined from 16.2% to 8.1%.

• Almost five million housing units have been delivered since 1994, benefiting more than 20 million South Africans.

These are not abstract statistics. They represent homes lit for the first time, children growing up with sanitation, families gaining shelter and communities connected to the basic infrastructure of citizenship.

These advances belong first and foremost to the people whose struggles shaped the democratic state, to workers who built public infrastructure, to public servants who discharged their responsibilities with integrity and to communities that organised for development. They confirm that transformation is possible when the state is directed towards the needs of the majority.

However, aggregate progress can conceal deep inequality. A household may be counted as connected to water while enduring repeated interruptions. An electricity connection does not protect a community from load reduction caused by overloaded and poorly maintained networks. A formal house located far from work, transport and public amenities may reproduce apartheid geography in a new form. Access must therefore be measured together with reliability, quality, affordability, dignity, and spatial justice.The central conclusion of this review is that the democratic state has expanded the social wage on a historic scale, but the quality and reliability of municipal delivery have not advanced at the same pace.

This contradiction must be confronted.

The next phase cannot be limited to adding connections; it must renew infrastructure, professionalize administration, protect poor households, and ensure that every service works.

HUMAN SETTLEMENTS: FROM HOUSING DELIVERY TO SPATIAL JUSTICE

Our Human Settlements programme must be understood not only as a housing-construction programme, but as an important instrument for addressing the spatial inequalities inherited from apartheid. The 2021 Local Government Manifesto committed the ANC to fast-tracking land reform and rural development through the facilitation of the release of state-owned land, while also committing to the upgrading of informal settlements, countering urban sprawl and ensuring that communities are located on well-situated land.

The scale of the current human settlements programme demonstrates the extent of the investment being made across the country. The municipal human settlements portfolio contains 1,887 selected projects across all nine provinces and 174 municipalities, representing a recorded investment value of R160.93 billion. These projects are expected to deliver approximately 901,073 units or related outputs and benefit 385,920 households. Of the total recorded project value, approximately R62.34 billion, or 38.7%, has already been spent, while R98.60 billion, or 61.3%, remains to be delivered. This means that a significant portion of the work remains concentrated in projects that are still under implementation and require sustained delivery momentum.

The provincial distribution also demonstrates the scale of activity across the country. KwaZulu-Natal has the largest number of recorded projects at 498, followed by the Western Cape with 383, Mpumalanga with 252, North West with 220, Limpopo with 182, Gauteng with 158, Eastern Cape with 126, Northern Cape with 61 and the Free State with seven.

A critical component of transforming human settlements is ensuring that housing is built on land that enables communities to participate fully in social and economic life. During the period under review, government exceeded its target of investing in 94 Priority Human Settlements Development Areas by declaring 136 Priority Development Areas for human settlements development. These areas are intended to drive spatial transformation, spatial justice, and integrated human settlements. To support this work, 112 Priority Development Area development plans have been completed, providing a basis for guiding investment and development in priority locations. Government has also worked with nationalsector departments to align infrastructure investment within these areas so that housing development is accompanied by the infrastructure necessary for functioning communities.

Progress has also been made in releasing land for human settlements. 167 parcels of DPWI state land, covering 14,105 hectares, have been approved for release. A further 2,629.8 hectares of state land have been released through the Housing Development Agency, while 16,243 hectares of DLRRD land have been released to municipalities. An additional 2,487.9 hectares of state land have been identified. In addition, of the land acquired during 2014–2019 within Priority Housing Development Areas, 4,478.1237 hectares, representing 94%, had been successfully rezoned, improving the readiness of the land for development.

The delivery record during the 2019–2024 MTSF period further demonstrates both progress and the remaining work. Government delivered 231,032 serviced sites, representing 77% of the target, while 240,933 housing units were completed, representing 80% of the target. Within the Community Residential Units programme, 13,885 social housing units were completed against a target of 18,000, while 2,772 Community Residential Units were delivered against a target of 5,000. The First Home Finance programme performed above its target, with 28,484 subsidies approved against a target of 20,000, representing 142% achievement.

The current MTDP period shows continued delivery. As at the bi-annual reporting period ending 31 March 2026, 20,181 housing units had been delivered during the reporting period, bringing cumulative delivery to 76,702 housing units, representing 32% progress against the MTDP target. During the October 2025 to March 2026 reporting period, 19,761 serviced sites were delivered, comprising 14,569 HSDG sites, 3,875 ISUPG sites and 1,317 USDG sites. Cumulative serviced-site delivery stood at 90,907 sites, representing 29% progress.

The programme is also expanding access to housing finance and strengthening tenure security. During the reporting period, 5,916 subsidies were disbursed, including First Home Finance, provincial subsidies, affordable housing bridging finance units and sites, and incremental loans. Cumulative delivery stood at 18,260 subsidies, representing 13% progress. On tenure security, 3,982 title deeds were registered during the reporting period, bringing cumulative title-deed registration to 29,832, representing 37% progress.

Informal settlement upgrading remains another essential element of the programme. During the 2019–2024 MTSF period, the programme recorded 290 projects in Phase 1, 998 projects in Phase 2 and 632 projects in Phase 3. Under the 2024–2029 MTDP, the target is to have 4,075 informal settlements in various phases of upgrading, with end-term targets of 2,155 settlements in Phase 2, 1,288 in Phase 3 and 632 settlements completed at Phase 3. During the latest reporting period, metros recorded progress inseven settlements in Phase 1, 29 in Phase 2 and 12 in Phase 3, while provinces recorded 10 settlements in Phase 1, nine in Phase 2 and four in Phase 3.

The transformation of human settlements also requires changes to municipal land-use planning. The department has completed 112 Priority Development Area plans, while business planning reforms and Project Readiness Assessments now take into account land availability and rezoning, bulk infrastructure readiness, and the integration of housing with transport, economic opportunities, and social facilities. This represents a shift away from isolated, project-by-project housing delivery towards pipeline-based and spatially targeted development.

For 2026/27, the Human Settlements Development Grant business plan provides for an allocation of R13.2 billion. The programme is targeting 12,265 serviced sites, 38,019 housing units, 11,195 solar installations and 18,337 title deeds. These targets reflect the department’s continued focus on expanding housing access, providing serviced land, strengthening tenure security, and improving the sustainability of human settlements.

The Informal Settlements Upgrading Partnership Grant has a 2026/27 allocation of R1.925 billion, while the consolidated business plans of the nine provinces provide for 12,921 serviced sites. Importantly, 70% of the provincial annual budget has been allocated to Phase 3 permanent infrastructure, demonstrating a focus on moving informal settlements beyond planning and tenure interventions towards the installation of permanent engineering services.

The evidence therefore points to a human settlements programme that has expanded considerably, but which must continue to address the spatial consequences of apartheid and the pressures created by urbanization and informal settlement growth. The central challenge is to ensure that housing delivery, land release, informal settlement upgrading, transport, economic opportunities and municipal services are planned together. This is what will turn housing delivery into integrated human settlements and advance the objective of spatial justice.

WATER: THE MATERIAL ADVANCE OF DEMOCRATIC TRANSFORMATION

Our assessment of the 2021 Local Government Elections Manifesto is rooted in the material conditions of the people and supported by verifiable evidence of work undertaken. The ANC has never understood transformation as an abstract promise. The National Democratic Revolution must find expression in a tap that delivers safe water, a sanitation system that protects dignity, and a human settlement that gives a family security, social citizenship, and access to opportunity.Water remains one of the most urgent service-delivery challenges facing the country. By 2025, access to water stood at 91.3% of households nationally, while access to sanitation stood at 85.6%. These figures demonstrate the significant expansion of basic services achieved by the democratic government since 1994.

However, access statistics must be considered alongside the lived experience of communities where water supply remains intermittent, infrastructure is aging or deteriorating, and some households continue to experience water insecurity. The task before government is therefore not only to expand access, but to ensure that water and sanitation services are reliable, sustainable, and capable of meeting the needs of a growing population.

The ANC-led government has recognized the seriousness of the water challenge and has acted to place it firmly at the centre of the national agenda. The establishment of the Presidential Water Crisis Committee and the Water Task Team reflects the decision to provide stronger political leadership and coordination in addressing water and sanitation challenges. This work is being undertaken precisely because government understands that the challenge cannot be left to municipalities to resolve on their own where local capacity is inadequate. It requires coordinated action across all spheres of government, stronger institutions, investment in infrastructure and decisive intervention where municipalities are unable or unwilling to fulfill their responsibilities.

The seriousness of this commitment was demonstrated during this year’s Mandela Day, when government mobilized at the highest levels to address water challenges in communities. President Cyril Ramaphosa, supported by Cde Minister Pemmy Majodina, led the intervention in Gauteng, while Deputy President Paul Mashatile, supported by Cde David Mahlobo, led the intervention in KwaZulu-Natal. In the Eastern Cape, Cde Maropene Ramokgopa, the 2nd Deputy Secretary-General, participated in the intervention. This coordinated presence across three provinces was not simply a symbolic Mandela Day activity; it was a demonstration of the seriousness with which the ANC-led government is treating the country’s water crisis and its determination to bring government closer to communities experiencing water insecurity.

The scale of the response must also be understood against the longer-term infrastructure programme. During the 2025/26 financial year, 110 projects across all provinces were funded through the Regional Bulk Infrastructure Grant, while 391 projects were being implemented through the Water Services Infrastructure Grant, with 163 planned for completion during that financial year. These investments include pipelines, reservoirs, boreholes, pump stations, and treatment works intended to move water from source to communities and progressively address historical infrastructure backlogs.

The work is visible through major projects across the country. In the Eastern Cape, the R792 million Ngqamakhwe Regional Bulk Water Supply Scheme is being constructed to supply 78,000 people across120 rural villages, while the R423 million Ndlambe project had reached 81% completion and is expected to benefit more than 12,000 households in Port Alfred and Alexandria.

In Limpopo, the R4.8 billion Giyani Water Project has completed the bulk pipeline from Nandoni Dam to Nsami Dam, with 23 villages connected at the time of reporting and reticulation and yard connections forming part of the programme across 55 villages. In KwaZulu-Natal, the R4.9 billion Mandlakazi Bulk Water Supply Scheme is intended to benefit more than 33,000 households.

We however recognise that water security cannot be achieved through infrastructure expansion alone. South Africa’s national water balance remains in balance until 2030, but localised deficits already exist, and water availability could deteriorate as demand increases. Economic growth, urbanisation and population growth are placing greater pressure on available resources, while inefficient use, particularly losses in municipal distribution systems, degradation of wetlands, sewage and industrial pollution, and the effects of climate change threaten the sustainability of our water resources.

This requires us to broaden the country’s water-resource mix. South Africa is already harnessing approximately 75% of its sustainably utilisable surface-water resources, which means that we cannot rely on conventional surface-water development alone. We must increase the sustainable use of groundwater, seawater desalination, water reuse through the capture of treated wastewater returns flows, and the reuse of other poor-quality water, including acid mine drainage. At the same time, supply- side interventions must be accompanied by stronger water conservation and water-demand management, particularly in domestic and industrial use and through reducing physical losses in municipal distribution systems.

The ANC reaffirms that access to clean water and safe sanitation is grounded in the Constitution and is fundamental to health, wellbeing, and human dignity. As President Ramaphosa emphasized at the National Water Indaba in 2025, the rights to access sufficient food and water are interrelated and interdependent, with human dignity at their centre. The responsibility of government is therefore to ensure that these constitutional rights are translated into reliable services in the daily lives of communities.

At the same time, we must confront the factors that continue to undermine water and sanitation delivery.

These include organized criminality and corruption, attacks on critical infrastructure, weak financial management, poor credit control, inaccurate billing, illegal connections, infrastructure decay and governance instability. Many communities are already experiencing water and sanitation failures, including insecurity of supply, scarcity, intermittent supply, or no supply at all. These challenges are compounded by rapidly rising demand resulting from population growth, urbanization, industrial

requirements, and South Africa’s international obligations.The ANC’s response therefore combines immediate intervention with long-term structural reform. This includes reviewing delivery models so that the responsibilities of Water Services Authorities and Water Services Providers are clearly defined; increasing investment and strengthening the financial viability of the water sector; enhancing technical and operational capacity; building partnerships with water-sensitive and resilient communities; and fighting criminality and corruption in the water and sanitation sector.

Where municipalities face acute water crises, national government must use the statutory mechanisms available to intervene. Struggling municipalities must receive intensified technical support and, where necessary, be assisted to appoint alternative capable water-service providers, including water boards or other appropriate providers. National infrastructure grants must be prioritized towards bringing water to people’s taps, completing long-delayed projects, reducing non-revenue water, and extending services to unserved communities. Additional financing, including blended finance, public-private partnerships, performance-based contracts and management contracts, must be explored to accelerate investment in municipal water infrastructure.

There must also be a decisive fight against criminality in the water sector, including the theft of infrastructure and the activities of the water tanker mafia. Infrastructure protection, stronger financial management, competent technical personnel, and consequence management are essential to ensuring that money allocated for water and sanitation actually results in functioning services.

The ANC is committed to implementing the water action plan as announced by the President which is focused on the following:

A. Review the Delivery/ implementation models – The main cause of the crisis is an inappropriate delivery model. A key reform is to clearly separate the roles of Water Service Authorities (WSAs).

constitutionally mandated to local government to ensure that services are provided, from Water Service Providers (WSPs), responsible for the delivery of the function. The Metro Trading Services Reform Programme will ensure that metros ring-fence revenue from the sale of water, reinvest that revenue into water infrastructure, and create single-point accountability for the water function.

B. Increasing investment through financing options and ensuring the financial viability of the sector. The traditional financing mechanisms from grants, revenue sales will be ringfenced and reinvested to improve reliability; blended finance will be enhanced through project preparations; removing obstacles to attract infrastructure investment, particularly from the private sector and exploring blue and green bonds. Mechanisms to be explored including debt relief to curb escalating water debt to water boards.C. D. E. Enhancing and strengthening technical and operational capacity and efficiency Building partnerships through building water sensitive and resilient communities Fighting criminality and corruption in the water and sanitation sector Ultimately, water security is inseparable from fixing local government. This is why the ANC’s renewal agenda includes the rebuilding of capable municipalities, strengthening technical capacity, improving financial management and ensuring that councillors and officials are held accountable for the services for which they are responsible.

SANITATION: RESTORING DIGNITY AND REBUILDING MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Sanitation is a measure of the humanity of a society and the capacity of the state. Access to improved sanitation increased from 61.7% of households in 2002 to approximately 84% in 2025. Using the stricter international measure; which requires an improved facility, non-sharing, and the safe treatment of waste; 76.3% of South Africans had access to safely managed sanitation in 2024. The distinction is important because a toilet is not a complete service if the sewer collapses, the pump station fails or waste is discharged untreated into rivers and communities.

The ANC therefore does not reduce the transformation record to the number of toilets constructed. The full sanitation chain must work; from the household facility and reticulation network to pump stations, wastewater treatment works and the safe disposal or reuse of waste.

Our assessment confirms significant progress in this regard. In Matjhabeng in the Free State, the refurbishment and upgrading of 14 sewer pump stations and 30 kilometres of outfall sewer pipelines were completed, with the Kutloanong and Thabong wastewater treatment works forming part of the continuing intervention. At Lekwa Local Municipality in Mpumalanga, government instituted 15 water and sanitation projects with a combined value of R350 million. Twelve had been completed at the reporting date. The programme includes the refurbishment of the Standerton Water Treatment Works, a five-megalitre clear-water reservoir, repairs to water and sewer infrastructure, the refurbishment of four sewer pump stations, sewer unblocking and water-demand management.

In the Vaal, Rand Water’s intervention in Emfuleni and Midvaal includes the unblocking and replacement of collapsed sewer pipelines, the repair of pump stations, the restoration of municipal operation and maintenance functions, and the expansion of wastewater-treatment capacity. The multi-year investment is estimated at R4.7 billion. In North West, R133 million was allocated to the completed refurbishment of the Boitekong Sewer Pump Station and outfall sewer, intended to reduce recurring blockages and improve services in Boitekong, Freedom Park, Meriting and Seraleng. Operation Bulela Metsi is supported by R4.6billion in grant funding over the medium term for water and sanitation projects across North West’s ten water-services-authority municipalities.

These interventions demonstrate that government is not standing still. They also demonstrate the exorbitant cost of allowing infrastructure to deteriorate before acting. The ANC is at the center of driving a decisive transition from emergency response to preventative maintenance, properly funded asset management, and the professional operation of treatment facilities.

The ANC has called upon Municipalities to fill critical posts with qualified engineers, process controllers, artisans, and project managers. Councils must ring-fence appropriate revenue for water and sanitation, enforce credible maintenance plans and publish progress against Green Drop and Blue Drop improvement programmes.

We must confront those who steal cables, vandalize pump stations, manipulate tenders, or deliberately disrupt projects. Such conduct is counter-revolutionary because it attacks the collective assets of the people and diverts resources from the poor. Equally, the ANC will not permit public representatives or officials to invoke vandalism as a blanket excuse for weak management. Political leadership must be visible, officials must be accountable, contractors must perform and communities must receive honest information.

Poor households must receive the free basic water and sanitation support to which they are entitled. Indigent registers must be accurate and protected from factional manipulation. Those who can afford to pay must meet their obligations, while government departments and businesses must settle valid municipal accounts. A sustainable municipal system requires a social compact, but the state must earn cooperation through accurate billing, reliable service, and respectful treatment of residents.

The ANC’s political position is clear. We defend the progress made, acknowledge the unfinished task and refuse the normalization of failure. No community should be expected to accept sewage in its streets as an ordinary feature of life. Sanitation is dignity, and dignity is non-negotiable.

ELECTRICITY: FROM NATIONAL CRISIS TO SUSTAINED RECOVERY

The electricity crisis was among the most severe political, social, and economic challenge during the period under review. Between 2021 and 2023, high stages of load shedding disrupted family life, damaged small enterprises, weakened municipal revenue, constrained investment, and deepened the hardship of the working class and poor. The ANC acknowledges without qualification the anger and loss caused by this period.The movement drew the correct lesson that the crisis was not inevitable. It reflected accumulated weaknesses in maintenance, delayed investment, governance failures, corruption, and the slow implementation of necessary decisions. It is for this reason that fixing the energy crisis was at the forefront of our renewal agenda going into this term under review.

Our Government subsequently acted with determination. The Energy Action Plan released in July 2022 established a comprehensive programme to improve the availability of Eskom’s existing fleet, accelerate new generation, enable investment by businesses and households, procure renewable energy, gas and battery storage, and transform the electricity sector for long-term security. The National Energy Crisis Committee coordinated implementation, while dedicated executive leadership strengthened the national response.

The results are real and measurable. South Africa has achieved more than 450 consecutive days without load shedding, with continuous supply maintained since mid-May 2025. Unplanned outages declined, energy availability improved and the power system moved from persistent emergency towards greater stability. This is a significant national achievement and a basis upon which economic and social recovery has been advanced.

The ANC does not present this turnaround as a license for complacency. A stable electricity system must be maintained through disciplined engineering, adequate planned maintenance, investment in transmission and distribution, the return of reliable generation capacity and the rapid connection of new energy projects. Public capacity must be protected and strengthened while the electricity sector evolves.

The recovery also demonstrates a wider political truth. The state is capable of reversing severe crises when there is clear leadership, technical competence, coordination, and consequence management. This standard must now be applied across local government. The ANC insists on the same urgency in water, sanitation, roads, refuse removal and human settlements that was eventually mobilised to address load shedding.

ENDING LOAD REDUCTION AND ADVANCING A JUST ENERGY TRANSITION

While load shedding has been overcome, load reduction continues to impose hardship on many working- class and poor communities. For a household without electricity, the distinction between load shedding and load reduction offers little comfort. The review therefore rejects any declaration of complete victory while communities continue to experience repeated local interruptions.

Load reduction is linked to overloaded networks, illegal connections, vandalism, transformer failures, inadequate distribution investment, and the exclusion of many qualifying households from Free BasicElectricity. It is a technical problem, but it is also a social and governance problem. It cannot be solved through disconnections and law enforcement alone, nor can unsafe connections and organized infrastructure crime be tolerated.

The programme to eliminate load reduction is therefore being intensified through the expansion of Free Basic Electricity, the registration of indigent households, accelerated smart-meter installation, transformer and feeder upgrades, network reinforcement, and distributed energy solutions, including microgrids in high-risk areas. Structured engagements with communities are rebuilding trust and establishing shared responsibility for protecting infrastructure.

The ANC reaffirms its commitment to a just energy transition. The transition is necessary to achieve energy security, reduce emissions, improve air quality, and open new paths of industrial development. It must, however, be just in both its outcomes and its methods. Workers and communities whose livelihoods depend on the coal value chain must not carry the burden of change while the benefits flow elsewhere.

Renewable energy procurement has expanded, and legislative reform has enabled municipalities to procure power directly. Yet grid constraints have delayed projects, and municipal participation has been concentrated among better-resourced metros. This unevenness risks reproducing existing spatial and economic inequalities. We have accelerated transmission investment, expanded public generating capacity and poorer municipalities have been enabled to participate in new energy markets.

Our energy transition is connected to re-industrialisation. Solar panels, batteries, meters, cables, and other components are increasingly being be manufactured and maintained in South Africa. Our public procurement supports local enterprises, cooperatives, young people, and women. The transition must create decent work and new productive capacity rather than deepen import dependence.

The improvement in the electricity system must also translate into relief for communities that continue to experience load reduction. Government has made significant progress in this regard, with load reduction having ended in seven of the nine provinces. The work is not yet complete. We are accelerating efforts to end load reduction in the two remaining provinces, namely Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, where communities continue to experience interruptions.

This requires focused investment in overloaded networks, transformer and feeder upgrades, infrastructure maintenance, the expansion of network capacity and measures to address illegal connections, vandalism, and infrastructure crime. The objective is clear: the end of load shedding must ultimately be accompanied by the end of persistent load reduction, so that all communities can experience a reliable electricity supply.

The Cost of Electricity

The ANC acknowledges that electricity is one of the major drivers of the cost of living and undermines competitiveness of industries. The ANC-led government has already implemented the negotiated prices agreements with some of the major smelters in the country and these initiatives will be extended to other qualifying industry players. At the household level, the ANC commits to increase the free basic electricity to deserving households, an un-bundled and transparent tariff. The ANC commits to empowering municipalities to self-generate electricity and broaden their revenue streams. The ring fencing of electricity revenue will help to expand, refurbish and maintain the ailing municipal distribution and reticulation infrastructure

The ANC will fight for an electricity system that is reliable, affordable, socially owned in its purpose and capable of supporting development.

THE YEAR OF FIXING LOCAL GOVERNMENT: A MILITANT PROGRAMME OF ACTION TO COMPLETE THE MANDATE

The review renews the ANC’s determination to build local government that is ethical, capable, developmental, and rooted among the people. The movement enters the next period neither paralysed by its shortcomings nor intoxicated by its achievements. We carry forward the confidence born of democratic transformation and the urgency demanded by unfinished work.

The immediate programme is clear. Municipalities must secure reliable water and sanitation, reduce losses, rehabilitate wastewater works, and protect infrastructure budgets. They must repair roads, enforce refuse-collection schedules, and build cleaner communities. They must extend Free Basic Electricity, eliminate load reduction, strengthen local networks, and participate in a just energy transition.

They must release well-located land, accelerate informal-settlement upgrading, resolve title-deed backlogs and build integrated human settlements.

These priorities must become funded plans with measurable targets, named responsibility and public reporting. ANC caucuses and deployees must treat the Manifesto as a binding mandate. Higher spheres must support municipalities and intervene where they are incapable or unwilling to act. Communities must know what will be done, by whom and by what date.

The ANC calls upon its branches to reconnect with the daily struggles of communities. A branch must know the condition of the local water system, the refuse schedule, the housing projects, the electricity network, and the state of roads. It must mobilise residents around development, defend public assets andhold representatives accountable. Organizational life cannot be separated from the material conditions of the people.

We call upon councillors, officials, workers, business, civil society, and residents to forge a social compact for functional municipalities. Government must lead and deliver. Those able to pay must pay. All must protect infrastructure and reject corruption, dumping, vandalism and criminal disruption. Accountability for governing remains with those entrusted with public power.

The ANC hears the anger of communities facing dry taps, sewage, uncollected refuse, broken roads, unreliable electricity and long waits for land and housing. That anger is legitimate. We do not ask the people to lower their expectations. The movement and the state must rise to their historic responsibility.

We acknowledge that there have been shortcomings and moments when government and the organisation have not lived up to the expectations of the people. We accept that these shortcomings have contributed to frustration and, in some communities, a loss of confidence. But we also know that the democratic state has transformed the lives of millions and that the instruments to change what is not working remain in our hands.

The ANC is renewing itself precisely because we recognize our shortcomings. We are correcting our weaknesses, strengthening accountability, rebuilding municipal capacity, and fixing local government s that it once again becomes an institution that works for the people. Our call for a renewed mandate is therefore a call to be judged not only on our historic record, but on the seriousness with which we are confronting our challenges and the work we are doing now to correct them.

We plea with South Africans to continue to work with us as we continue our record of delivery, transformation and work with communities to create local government that delivers water, sanitation, housing, electricity and other basic services with the urgency, competence and dignity that our people deserve.

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