Overview

• Addressing thousands at FNB Stadium, Cyril Ramaphosa said DA-run municipalities often outperform ANC councils and urged visits to Cape Town and Stellenbosch to learn best practices.
• He cited Auditor-General findings that many ANC-led councils fail to prepare their own financial statements and called for deploying qualified staff with strong financial skills.
• Ramaphosa directed councillors to resolve water and sewage leaks within 48 hours, warned of party “intervention” in failing municipalities, and said law enforcement must act on corruption.
• ANC chair Gwede Mantashe scolded councillors for lacking capacity, while the DA welcomed Ramaphosa’s remarks as validation and the EFF condemned them as damaging to the ANC.
• Cosatu pressed for accountability over collapsing services and unpaid workers, the SACP cautioned against blanket praise of the DA, and analysts flagged electoral risks ahead of by-elections and the 2026 local polls.