Ramaphosa warns ANC deployees: Perform or step aside

Ramaphosa warns ANC deployees: Perform or step aside

With the ANC navigating unfamiliar political terrain, President Cyril Ramaphosa has delivered one of his clearest warnings yet to party deployees: underperformance will no longer be tolerated.

Speaking at the ANC’s two-day lekgotla in Boksburg over the weekend, Ramaphosa said public representatives who fail to deliver on their responsibilities would face decisive consequences. His message was blunt, the party must either fix itself or risk losing even more public confidence.

A party under pressure

The warning comes at a sensitive moment for the ANC. For the first time since 1994, the party no longer holds a parliamentary majority and is now governing within a coalition. For many South Africans, that shift reflected growing frustration with service delivery failures, particularly at local government level.

Ramaphosa acknowledged this reality, saying the ANC could no longer defend poor performance or tolerate the abuse of public trust.

“We cannot accept people who waste public resources,” he said, adding that the party must have the courage to replace deployees who are not up to the task.

Focus shifts to action, not slogans

At the heart of Ramaphosa’s address was a renewed emphasis on implementation. He stressed that policies and resolutions mean little if they do not translate into visible change in people’s daily lives.

“Our focus must be on getting things done,” he told delegates, noting that voters want action not promises from those in power.

This sentiment has resonated widely online, where many South Africans reacted with cautious optimism. On social media, users questioned whether this would finally mark a turning point or become another strong speech without follow-through.

2026: A make-or-break year

The lekgotla declared 2026 as the “year of decisive action”, with fixing local government positioned as a top priority. The party identified six focus areas, including improving basic services, accelerating economic transformation and driving inclusive growth and job creation.

Political analysts note that the emphasis on municipalities is no coincidence. Local government failures have been one of the biggest contributors to voter dissatisfaction, particularly in urban and peri-urban areas.

Whether Ramaphosa’s warning leads to real accountability remains to be seen. But in a new era of coalition politics, the ANC’s room for error is shrinking and so is the patience of the electorate.