Overview
- President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a six-point renewal drive prioritising municipal fixes, job creation, anti‑corruption efforts, organisational reform, national dialogue and international engagement.
- He pledged 54 billion rand over three years to repair and upgrade water and electricity infrastructure, focusing on major metros, while saying national power shortages have eased though local outages persist.
- Ramaphosa warned that nonperforming councillors and mayors would be removed, with the ANC rolling out stricter performance management ahead of local elections due before November.
- Alliance partner SANCO praised the ANC’s liberation legacy, criticised corruption and service failures, and vowed to mobilise for the party in the 2026 municipal polls.
- Coverage noted empty seats at Moruleng Stadium, with logistical bottlenecks reported; a Sunday World piece cited unnamed sources alleging State Security Agency access restrictions, a claim still developing.