ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula says the ANC is working towards stabilising municipalities ahead of the elections
Image: Itumeleng English / Independent Newspapers
ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has unveiled a comprehensive "Local Government Action Plan," committing R54 billion over the next three years to address the water and electricity crises paralysing South Africa’s major metropolitan areas.
Speaking from Luthuli House, Mbalula outlined the governing party's roadmap to stabilise local government ahead of the upcoming elections. The briefing followed an extensive review of the party's performance at the municipal level, which Mbalula described as the "most urgent intervention point" for the state.
Central to the plan is a massive capital injection aimed at infrastructure repair. Mbalula confirmed that 13 major water projects are currently under "active implementation." These include the long-awaited Phase 2 of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project and the uMkhomazi Water Project.
In a move to bypass traditional bureaucratic bottlenecks, Mbalula highlighted the establishment of the Emfuleni Water and Sanitation "special purpose vehicle." He described this as a new institutional model that links infrastructure investment directly with governance reform and operational control, ensuring that funds are translated into "water in the taps."
Mbalula reported significant progress in stabilising municipal finances. He noted that Eskom debt relief amounting to R55.3 billion has already been implemented for 71 municipalities. This relief is contingent on strict compliance, with Mbalula citing over 180 compliance actions and Section 139 interventions taken against failing administrations.
"We are seeing the impact of capable, accountable leadership," Mbalula said, pointing to improved audit outcomes in municipalities such as Mbombela, Mamusa, and Bela-Bela as proof that the party's "Year of Decisive Action" is yielding results.
The Secretary-General sent a stern message to public representatives, revealing that a National Councillor Performance Review has been conducted for over 3,000 ANC councilors. To bridge the gap between the state and the people, the ANC has established a "National War Room" and a dedicated service delivery and corruption hotline to track and resolve community issues in real-time.
"The reconnection of the state with the people remains central to our work. Our public representatives must be held accountable for delivery, or they will be replaced," Mbalula stated.
Addressing the volatile nature of local government, Mbalula admitted that the ANC only holds outright control of two metros: Mangaung and Buffalo City. In all others, the party relies on coalitions. He announced that a new bill regarding thresholds for "principled coalitions" is a priority for the post-roll-call action plan.
The ANC is also in the process of finalising its mayoral candidates for metros and secondary cities, a process expected to be completed by June. Mbalula emphasised that the party has not hesitated to change mayors where leadership challenges or "ill-discipline" occurred, referencing instances where members voted with the opposition.
The briefing concluded with a focus on local economic development (LED). Mbalula noted that a "National LED Summit" has adopted a binding framework to re-engineer local economies, reportedly unlocking R18 billion in pipeline investments aimed at supporting 6,500 small enterprises in townships and rural areas.
karabo.ngoepe@inl.co.za