Cyril Ramaphosa makes a firm commitment that could see top leaders kicked out of office

African National Congress (ANC) President Cyril Ramaphosa has delivered an uncompromising warning to the party’s local government candidates, pledging to summarily sack underperforming mayors and ward councillors who fail to meet strict service delivery standards after the 4 November 2026 Local Government Elections.

Speaking during the party’s final election campaign blitz and manifesto engagements, Ramaphosa directly addressed public outrage surrounding collapsing municipal infrastructure, chronic water disruptions, uncollected refuse, and widespread service delivery failures. Acknowledging the ANC’s administrative shortcomings and internal governance weaknesses, the President insisted that political office can no longer be treated as a self-serving entitlement or a safe haven for incompetence. He noted that the governing party takes full responsibility for its governance failures and understands the deep frustration and anger felt by residents across affected communities.

To enforce accountability, Ramaphosa outlined a mandatory performance monitoring system governing all incoming ANC municipal representatives. Under the new mandate, every elected ANC mayor and councillor will be required to sign a binding Public Performance Agreement alongside a strict Code of Ethical Conduct. The binding agreements establish clear, measurable targets for municipal service delivery, infrastructure maintenance, financial accountability, and regular community engagement.

Furthermore, newly elected mayors will be mandated to publish a comprehensive “State of the Municipality” report within 60 days of taking office, followed by a publicly accountable 100-Day Delivery Scorecard. Local councils will also be required to hold regular public imbizos to engage residents and seek direct mandates from their constituencies.

Ramaphosa warned that the ANC will enforce consequence management without hesitation or political shielding. Councillors and mayors who become detached from their communities, ignore resident grievances, or fail to fulfill their contractual performance scorecards will face immediate removal and replacement.

The President’s pledge forms a core component of the ANC’s final strategy to retain key metropolitan hubs and municipal councils nationwide, seeking to assure disillusioned voters that the party is implementing structural reforms to professionalize local governance and eliminate factionalism ahead of Wednesday’s municipal vote.

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