Mbalula and DA trade barbs over local government manifesto

The Democratic Alliance and ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula exchanged sharp criticism after the DA published its local government manifesto, a dispute that centres on the role of private-sector participation in municipal service delivery and the DA’s place in the Government of National Unity.

Accusation of “Thatcherite” approach

Mbalula took to X after the DA launched its manifesto, describing it as a “Thatcherite manifesto on privatization of the state” and saying the DA was in the Government of National Unity because of the “collapse of ANC majority“.

DA response: focus on fixing municipalities

DA Federal Council Chairperson Ashor Sarupen called Mbalula’s comments a weak attack, saying the ANC had “nothing substantive to oppose in the DA’s governance plan.” Sarupen said the manifesto was aimed at “getting dysfunctional municipalities working again” and criticised Mbalula for resorting to an ideological reference.

“Confronted with a DA manifesto focused on getting broken municipalities working again, Mbalula reached for ideological labels from 1980s Britain because he cannot defend the ANC’s own record of government.”

Service delivery over ideology

Sarupen argued voters cared about the delivery of services rather than ideological labels. He said: “South Africans do not care whether the ANC can attach an ideological label to a refuse truck. They care whether the refuse truck arrives. They do not care who owns the equipment that repairs a burst pipe. They want water coming out of their taps.”

He added that the DA did not insist on a single model of service delivery, saying the party believed government should deliver services directly where efficient and work with businesses and communities where partnerships could be more effective. “The DA takes a much simpler view: government exists to deliver for all.“

On private-sector participation and the GNU

Sarupen challenged Mbalula’s attack on private-sector participation by saying the ANC already allowed private businesses to take part in service delivery in municipalities it governed and cited Mafube and KwaDukuza as examples where such interventions had “prevented the complete collapse of water and electricity supply.”

He also addressed Mbalula’s comment about the ANC’s loss of a national majority, saying it explained why the DA was part of the Government of National Unity. “Perhaps the most revealing part of Mbalula’s statement on the DA’s Manifesto is his admission that the DA is in the Government of National Unity because of the ‘collapse of the ANC majority’. On that, at least, we agree.“

Sarupen added: “The ANC lost its national majority because millions of South Africans grew tired of ANC slogans and lables, whereas voters want clean running water, their rubbish collected, their roads to be maintained and municipalities that function.“

Closing lines from the DA

Rejecting the Thatcherism label, Sarupen said: “That is not ‘Thatcherism’. It is called governing.” He concluded by contrasting what he described as the ANC’s focus on ideology with the DA’s focus on municipal performance: “The ANC can debate Thatcher. The DA is going to get municipalities working for all.“