ANC admits South African municipalities still falling short as party rolls out mayor “radar screen”
The African National Congress says South Africa’s municipalities have improved under government intervention, but many still cannot deliver basic services re...
The African National Congress says South Africa’s municipalities have improved under government intervention, but many still cannot deliver basic services reliably. The party has now unveiled a “radar screen” system to keep closer watch on mayors as it prepares for the 2026 local government elections.
Failures remain on the ground
The admission came from ANC National Executive Committee member Stella Ndabeni during the party’s manifesto review media briefings on Wednesday. The sessions track how the ANC’s 2021 local government election promises have been carried out ahead of the next vote.
Ndabeni said the party had seen progress in some areas, but serious problems remain. Ageing infrastructure, water losses, service interruptions, wastewater failures, irregular refuse collection, the spread of informal settlements and a stubborn housing backlog still weigh on many councils. Compliance on paper, she warned, does not always mean streets are clean, roads are maintained or residents receive the services they were promised.
That gap matters. For South Africans, municipalities are often the first and most visible layer of government. When they fail, the effects are immediate: leaking pipes, broken roads, uncollected rubbish and sewage in the street.
A closer watch on mayors
The ANC’s response is a new monitoring system described by party officials as a “radar screen” for mayors. The idea is to give the party a sharper view of what local leaders are doing, where municipalities are slipping and where intervention is needed.
The move comes as the ANC says 39 councils are under intervention. It is part of a broader municipal reform push the party has been promoting as it reviews its local government manifesto and sets priorities for the next term.
Party officials have also pointed to coalition governments in metros as a source of instability. ANC National Executive Committee member Dickson Masemola said coalition politics has hurt governance, financial administration and service delivery in major cities, including Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane.
Masemola argued that fragmented local power arrangements have produced permanent problems that were not there before, and urged voters to give the ANC another chance to restore Johannesburg. The party’s messaging suggests it will make municipal competence a central campaign theme.
That pitch lands at a sensitive moment. Across South Africa, service delivery remains the test voters notice first. The new “radar screen” may help the ANC spot trouble earlier. It will also raise the stakes for mayors who now know they are being watched more closely than before.
