Cyril Ramaphosa Says ANC Must Improve Governance and Service Delivery, Analyst Says It’s Too Late
- President Cyril Ramaphosa identified what has been contributing to the decline of the African National Congress (ANC) over the years
- Ramaphosa called on ANC members to improve local government issues and improve basic service delivery to regain voter trust
- Speaking exclusively to Briefly News, political analyst Mzoxolo Mpolase weighed in on the ANC’s electoral decline
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Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, 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.
NORTH WEST – President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on African National Congress members to address local government challenges to regain the trust of voters. Still, one political analyst thinks it’s too late for that.
Ramaphosa made the appeal while delivering the party’s January 8 statement at the Moruleng Stadium in the North West. The party officially turned 114 on 8 January 2026, but birthday celebrations were held two days later in the North West, where Ramaphosa delivered the annual statement.
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What did Ramaphosa say in the statement?
In the official January 8 statement, Ramaphosa identified the issues he believed were the cause of the party’s decline in support.
The ANC president said that fixing local government and improving basic service delivery were top priorities for 2026. He stated that weak governance at the municipal level and lack of service delivery were among the main reasons why the public no longer trusted the party as much.
He emphasised that issues such as potholes, water shortages, corruption, and ongoing power cuts damaged the ANC's image. Ramaphosa called on the party’s members to urgently address the shortcomings in order regain voter confidence. Party supporters, however, remain confident that the ANC will bounce back.
The party lost a lot of support in the 2024 National General Elections, forcing it to form coalitions to retain some form of power nationally and in some provinces as well.
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Political analyst weighs in on ANC’s decline
Speaking exclusively to Briefly News, political analyst Mzoxolo Mpolase weighed in on the ANC’s electoral decline and its plans to renew.
Asked about what the party need to do to regain public trust, Mpolase said it may be a futile exercise given the extent of the damage already done.
He added that something could be done between now and the next elections, but it would need the ANC to end cadre deployment in practice and enforce consequences for wrongdoing without exception.
“They need to deliver visibly on the basics, like power, water, safety, municipalities, and properly functioning provincial and national departments. Drop liberation nostalgia and govern like a modern administrative party. Without this, the ANC’s future is permanent and irreversible decline managed through coalitions,” he stated.
Discussing how the party’s image has changed over the year, Mpolase said it was no longer seen as the natural party of government.
“It is seen as the party still in power while the country deteriorates. Where it once inspired hope, confidence and patience, it now inspires fatigue, anger, and resignation,” he said.
He stated that the party’s decline was not a temporary thing, but a long-term issue.
“Much of the remaining support is driven by identity, habit, those still feeding at the trough, namely cadres, and a diminishing fear of alternatives, rather than any genuine belief that the ANC can fix the country,” Mpolase stated.
Ramaphosa accuses AfriForum of undermining the country's democracy
Briefly News reported that Ramaphosa accused AfriForum and Solidarity of destabilising South Africa's democracy.
Ramaphosa linked the false narratives of 'white genocide' to political manipulation and international racism.
The ANC president made the comments during the party's 114th birthday celebrations on Saturday, 10 January 2026.
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