President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent praise for Democratic Alliance (DA)-led municipalities has caused a stir within his own party, with some African National Congress (ANC) councillors labelling the comments as “sabotage“. The president’s remarks were made during a meeting with approximately 4,600 ANC councillors at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on Monday, 15 September.
Ramaphosa told the assembled councillors that it was “painful” to admit that the country’s best-run municipalities are often governed by the DA. He urged his party’s representatives to learn from their political rivals, specifically mentioning Cape Town and Stellenbosch as examples of sound administration.
“We need to ask ourselves, what is it that they are doing that is better than what we are doing?” Ramaphosa stated. “And there is nothing wrong with us saying, ‘We want to go and see what Cape Town is doing’.”
This call to action comes as the ANC grapples with widespread service delivery failures and deteriorating audit outcomes in the municipalities it governs. The president stressed that the party could not “forever stay at the bottom” and that councillors were the key to improving municipal performance. His DA praise was framed as a necessary step towards self-improvement for the ruling party.
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A mixed reception from councillors
The president’s comments have elicited a divided response from within the ANC’s ranks. Phelelani Sindani, a councillor from Protea Glen, said that while collaboration is welcome, praising the opposition in an internal party meeting was inappropriate. “Praising the DA in an ANC meeting is sabotaging the ANC,” he said.
However, other councillors, like Msimelo Lobi from Pennyville, agreed with the president. Lobi pointed to practical differences, such as higher revenue collection in DA-run areas and greater stability in their councillor appointments. He noted, “In Cape Town people pay for services. In Soweto people don’t want to pay for electricity.”
The DA’s federal chairperson, Helen Zille, welcomed Ramaphosa’s remarks, stating that the president was right to recognise that “if you compare ANC government to DA government, the DA government is by far better.”
The meeting, described as a “roll call,” is seen as the start of the ANC’s campaign for the 2026 local government elections. It follows a weekend NEC meeting where an “action plan” to rebuild local government was developed. The gathering also highlighted broader issues plaguing the public service, which Ramaphosa acknowledged in his weekly newsletter, citing skills shortages, corruption, and the erosion of Batho Pele (putting people first) principles. This context underscores the significance of Ramaphosa’s controversial DA praise.
Image: ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa told the party members to learn from other municipalities that are run in better ways than they are.
Image: X/@MyANC
