Cyril Ramaphosa Clarifies DA Praise: Says Clean Audits Don’t Equal Service Delivery, SA Unimpressed
- President Cyril Ramaphosa has explained his previous comments about the Democratic Alliance
- The president clarified to the SABC that he didn't necessarily mean the DA was good at service delivery
- South Africans weighed in on Ramaphosa's latest statement, saying it was too late for damage control
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 clarified his earlier praise of municipalities led by the Democratic Alliance (DA).
The president caused a stir online when he said it pained him to admit that DA municipalities often outperformed those run by the African National Congress (ANC).
He also encouraged ANC councillors at a Roll Call event to see what the DA was doing in municipalities like Stellenbosch and the City of Cape Town, and learn from it.
Source: Getty Images
President Ramaphosa clarifies earlier statements
During an exclusive interview with SABC News Political Editor, Mzwandile Mbeje, Ramaphosa provided more context to his statements about the DA.
Ramaphosa previously praised the DA municipalities, noting that they got clean audits. During his SABC interview on 18 September 2025, he clarified that this didn’t always mean the residents were getting service delivery.
“Municipalities, for instance, in the Western Cape, have clean audits. But in the end, clean audits do not mean clean streets,” he said.
Ramaphosa also noted that many in the DA got very excited with his praise, but it was only from a compliance point of view.
“From a transformation point of view, they are not really meeting the mark. And a number of ANC municipalities meet the mark,” the president stated.
You can view his comments below.
Ramaphosa’s latest statement is similar to what the GOOD Party alleged. The party’s secretary, Brett Herron, rejected Ramaphosa’s claims before saying that the DA municipalities were the benchmark for inequality.
How did South Africans react to Ramaphosa’s new statement?
Social media users weighed in on Ramaphosa’s comments, with some saying it was too late to do damage control.
@Mpungose774292 said:
“Ramaphosa should have explained this at the conference so that the audience could get the distinction.”
@Ntobeko_Khuluse joked:
“Damage control😂.”
@Sam59650955 stated:
“The explanation doesn't sound convincing at all. He was supposed to counter the statement immediately for damage control, not come back after five days. It’s totally not acceptable.”
@Sidingilizwe added:
“It's called firefighting.”
Jason Andrew Lubbe stated:
“Loose lips sink the ANC ship.”
Bhekinkosi Mwelase said:
“Damage control is always needed when you are dealing with capacity dololo people. Capacity dololo people are being controlled. They offer nothing independently.”
Kagiso Mmokwa added:
“Too late. You have inflicted damage to the ANC election campaign for the next local government elections, Mr President.”
Helen Zille mocks Ramaphosa
Briefly News reported that the DA's Helen Zille poked fun at President Ramaphosa over his recent praise.
The DA's Chairperson of the Federal Council shared a funny photo of the president in DA colours online.
South Africans joined in on the fun, sharing their own hilarious images of other politicians in response.
Source: Briefly News
