Cyril Ramaphosa Admits DA Municipalities Outperform ANC Ones, SA Jokes He’s Campaigning for Them
- President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed thousands of African National Congress councillors at the FNB Stadium
- The president admitted that municipalities run by the ANC were not the best performing in most instances
- South Africans shared their thoughts on Ramaphosa's statement, with some joking that he was selling out the ANC
Source: Getty Images
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
GAUTENG – President Cyril Ramaphosa has admitted that Democratic Alliance-run municipalities often outperform those run by the African National Congress.
The president made the admission while addressing thousands of councillors at the FNB stadium outside Soweto on 15 September 2025. Over 4,600 councillors gathered at the venue for a special Roll Call, where Ramaphosa unveiled a Service Delivery Action Plan.
What did Ramaphosa say about the DA?
The president said that while the ANC controlled several municipalities, it was usually painful when the Auditor General reported to the cabinet and their reports indicated that the municipalities that did best were not ANC-controlled. Ramaphosa added that he could state it in front of everyone that it was DA-led municipalities that did better, because there was nothing wrong with competition.
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“We need to ask ourselves, what is it that they are doing that is better than what we are doing?” he said.
He added that there was nothing wrong with wanting to see how the DA was running their municipalities, adding that the ANC needed to be moving up the ladder at being good at what they do.
He stated that it hurt him deeply when he noted that some municipalities were even going backwards.
You can view his comments below.
Ramaphosa calls for councillors to do more
In unveiling his plan to address the serious service delivery failures across numerous municipalities, Ramaphosa said that ANC councillors must be the first to know what is happening in their wards.
Echoing statements made by Reverend Frank Chikane earlier in the day, the president said that the ANC couldn’t hear about issues like water leaks and sewage overflows through the media, when the councillors in the area didn’t say anything. He gave councillors 48 hours from the time they received a complaint to address it.
Ramaphosa stated that going forward, councillors would be expected to report quarterly about what they were doing in their communities, adding that citizens were clear when they said they didn’t want incompetent people.
Source: Facebook
How did South Africans react to Ramaphosa’s statement?
Social media users were amused and amazed that the president was honest enough about the ANC-run municipalities.
@bashiersallie joked:
“My President is campaigning for the DA😆👌🏽.”
@Mzansipresser stated:
“Embarrassing stuff, very embarrassing.”
@BrandonLorenzo exclaimed:
“What? He said what? So, we only got the ANC or DA to look up to as leaders and examples? The president isn't wrong; the DA municipalities are factually better run by a mile. Let's see with the GNU what the smaller parties do and how they perform.”
@getdigitalwork added:
“Hau cupcake, you are finally waking up😅.”
@ithi_mapholoba exclaimed:
“Aibo, I can’t believe he said this on a public platform🙈. The ANC is gone. The president is selling that party big time.”
@dithapedi joked:
“So, ANC members must vote for the DA next year. He just sold the ANC🤣.”
@RealMTshabalala asked:
“😂 Is this an admission of guilt by the ANC?”
@masala_give stated:
“DA is going to use this clip to win the Local Government Elections next year.”
Other stories of the ANC prioritising service delivery
Briefly News reported that Ramaphosa wasn't the only ANC member who said the party needed to prioritise service delivery.
- In January 2025, the ANC Lekgotla resolved to tackle service delivery issues and rebuild railways.
- Panyaza Lesufi promised in May 2025 that the ANC would focus on service delivery in Gauteng.
- Naledi Pandor says in August 2025 that the ANC needed selfless leaders who prioritised putting the people first.
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Source: Briefly News
