‘No Corruption, No Nepotism’: ANC KZN Vows to Clean Up Local Government

Party launches ambitious turnaround plan amid mounting service delivery failures and trust deficit

In a province battered by broken promises and eroded public trust, the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal has declared it’s done with excuses. Speaking after a weekend-long summit in Durban attended by over 500 delegates from all 54 municipalities, provincial coordinator Mike Mabuyakhulu unveiled a sweeping plan to fix what he called “a broken sphere of local government.”

The message? Zero tolerance for corruption, nepotism, or political inertia.

Durban Summit Unites ANC’s Broad Church

The summit, which included traditional leaders, civic activists, alliance partners, and progressive formations, was framed by Mabuyakhulu as a turning point.

“We emerged united, determined and inspired to restore the dignity of local government,” he said at Tuesday’s press briefing.

But beneath the rhetoric lies a stark reality: many KZN municipalities are in a state of administrative disrepair, marred by financial mismanagement, service delivery breakdowns, and political infighting.

Mabuyakhulu didn’t shy away from this. He cited shocking examples, like a municipality selling off water tankers, only to have the buyer, a local mayor, lease the same tankers back to the district at a profit.

Calling Out Double Standards in Oversight

In a bold move, Mabuyakhulu accused the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) of selective scrutiny.

“There’s overt partisanship in how ANC-led municipalities are targeted,” he said, but quickly added: “Anyone acting outside the law must be dealt with decisively, no matter their political colours.”

This seems to signal a rare commitment to internal accountability, as well as an attempt to reclaim public confidence ahead of the 2026 local elections.

Deadline Set: Municipal Turnaround by August

The ANC has now committed to urgent interventions across all municipalities, whether led by the ANC, coalitions, or opposition parties.

Key goals before August 2025 include:

• Filling critical leadership and administrative vacancies

• Aligning municipal Integrated Development Plans (IDPs)

• Improving strained labour relations

• Enforcing the 30-day payment rule for service providers

• Rejecting unfunded budgets

Mabuyakhulu also condemned the ongoing return of unspent grants, calling it a betrayal of public needs.

Water Crisis in the Spotlight

One of the standout priorities is water provision. With many communities facing daily water cuts and failed infrastructure, the ANC plans to host a dedicated Water Summit and launch a provincial service delivery plan to address shortages and maintenance backlogs.

“Water is the single most critical issue across our province,” Mabuyakhulu said.

This is no surprise to residents in places like uMsunduzi, Abaqulusi, and Ugu, where burst pipes and tanker politics have become part of daily life.

Economic Recovery & Public Input

The summit also tackled local economic development, with calls to revive township economies and create jobs through national-provincial-local partnerships.

In a rare show of openness, delegates agreed to make submissions to the ongoing review of the 1998 White Paper on Local Government, a move that could shape the next two decades of municipal governance.

‘A Movement of the People, For the People’

In closing, Mabuyakhulu struck a tone of moral urgency.

“We declare unequivocally that the ANC will tolerate no corruption, no nepotism, and no action that compromises service delivery or betrays the trust of our people.”

He said the party’s historic mission to build a capable, developmental state, remains intact, even amid deep internal and external challenges.

A Promising Blueprint or More Political Theatre?

While the tone of the summit and its resolutions suggest a shift in seriousness, critics may argue that similar promises have been made before, only to fade under the weight of factional politics, budget mismanagement, and slow implementation.

Still, with mounting public frustration and 2026 elections on the horizon, the ANC in KwaZulu-Natal may finally realise that clean governance is no longer optional, it’s a political necessity. Whether this blueprint delivers tangible results, though, remains to be seen.

{Source: IOL}

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