Mbalula: ANC can no longer expect an automatic mandate from voters

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has said the party can no longer take voters’ support for granted, acknowledging that corruption and weak leadership have damaged the ANC’s relationship with communities as it prepares for the 2026 local government elections.

Message to voters delivered from Eastern Cape church

Mbalula delivered the message while speaking at the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in the Eastern Cape on Sunday. He said the party had heard the voters’ warning and was taking it seriously.

Where trust has frayed

Mbalula pointed to governance failures that, he said, had undermined public confidence. “We know that in some places corruption and weak leadership have betrayed the trust of communities,” he said.

“We know that in some places corruption and weak leadership have betrayed the trust of communities. In 2024/2025, only 15% of municipalities achieved clean audits,” Mbalula said.

He also referenced recent electoral trends to underline the changing mood among voters: the ANC’s share of the national municipal vote fell from 53.9% in 2016 to 45.59% in 2021. “The voters spoke to us in 2021; our share of the national municipal vote fell from 53.9% in 2016 to 45.59%.”

Renewal framed around conduct and accountability

Mbalula said the ANC’s renewal should be visible in how the party and its councillors behave. “Renewal in the ANC is not a slogan; it must be measured in conduct,” he said, reiterating the party’s commitment to making renewal tangible.

Specific accountability measures

He outlined measures the party plans to implement: every ANC councillor would be required to sign a public performance agreement and a pledge of ethical conduct. Mbalula also said that every ANC-led municipality would have to publish a state-of-the-municipality report within 60 days, providing information on finances and service delivery.

“We will report to you publicly and regularly on what we have committed to, what we delivered and what remains undone. Why does this matter to the church? Because local government is where the gospel meets the street,” Mbalula said.

What he said about the 2026 local government elections

Mbalula framed the party’s efforts as a direct response to voter feedback ahead of the 2026 local government elections, saying: “We have heard that message, and we take it seriously.”