"You Think We Are Zombies?": SA Unimpressed by Mbalula’s ANC Promise to Fix Mistakes
- ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula spoke to Newzroom Afrika after the party's election manifesto launch in Diepsloot on 23 August 2026
- Mbalula acknowledged that some of the party's mistakes had been costly, but insisted the ANC has a concrete plan to address them
- South Africans pushed back on social media, questioning whether the party's promises carry any weight after three decades in power
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Source: Getty Images
SOUTH AFRICA — The ANC has publicly acknowledged that it has made serious mistakes during its time in government, with Secretary General Fikile Mbalula stating that the party has a concrete plan to correct them.
Mbalula made the remarks in an interview with Newzroom Afrika following the party's election manifesto launch in Diepsloot on 23 August 2026, where the ANC outlined a six-point plan aimed at addressing failing municipalities and persistent service delivery problems across the country.
Mbalula defends ANC's track record
When pressed on why South Africans should continue voting for the ANC after more than 30 years of governance, Mbalula argued that experience and action set the party apart.
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"We agree that some mistakes have been dire and costly but some of them are being corrected," he said.
He added that the party has a plan that is not based on fiction but on reality.The plan covers areas including fixing municipal budgets, building houses, repairing potholes and holding councillors and mayors accountable for non delivery.
"Those are things that are not thumbsucked but they are doable even within the constraints of coalition government," Mbalula said.
South Africans respond with scepticism
The interview drew sharp reactions on social media, with many users questioning the credibility of the ANC's promises.
@Botsangkgosi wrote:
"You have been making mistakes for how many years 🤣😅😂😅"
@dramadelinquent]said:
"Narrator: they have no plan, he's lying for the upcoming elections as they have for the past 2 decades"
@Mulangan0 commented:
"Same story, different years…2021,2023, 2026…. You think we are zombies"
@AlexMilatov wrote:
"He must mention every mistake they've made and tell us why they made them and how they are going to fix them."
@JosephJose860 challenged Mbalula directly:
"You admit your mistake? Last week you said coalitions were why Joburg is in disrepair."
Mbalula blames coalition government for failures
Briefly News reported that ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has defended his party's governance track record, arguing that coalition arrangements, not ANC leadership, are to blame for the country's service delivery failures.When pressed on persistent complaints about poor sanitation, crumbling roads, and inadequate service delivery, he maintained that the party had performed well in municipalities where it holds an outright majority.
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Source: Briefly News
