Rabia Mayet | rabiamayet@radioislam.co.za

27 January 2026

1-minute read

The ANC’s bold plans to strengthen service delivery at local government level and municipalities have been given the thumbs-up by government experts, on the condition that it is not only talk but also action.

“You can’t change things overnight without changing the people.” According to William Gumede from the Wits School of Governance, failure at both local and national level is due to having the wrong people in powers of position and not holding them accountable, alongside issues of corruption and criminal elements. However, corrupt and incompetent individuals and contractors linked to big names in the party cannot simply “be kicked out overnight.”

William states that the only reason the ANC is coming up with plans for service delivery is because, with the upcoming local government elections, they “may in trouble.” Numerous people within the party’s echelons are not supported on merit and many contractors are being deployed by the ANC without the correct skills.

Analysts expect the party’s electoral backing to drop from about 44% to around 30%, removing them as the leading party in the country.

This may be the beginning of the end of the “ANC’s dominance at a local level,” concludes William.

Listen to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and William Gumede here.