The ANC has put its 2026 local government election manifesto on the table, and on paper, it appears to acknowledge something South Africans have been saying for years: too many municipalities simply aren’t working. The party itself concedes that communities are dealing with unreliable water, ageing infrastructure, sewage spills, financial distress, corruption and weak leadership. But that admission raises a much bigger question: if the ANC knows exactly what is broken, why should voters believe that it can now fix it? The manifesto promises a turnaround, including a 100-day programme targeting potholes, streetlights, water leaks, sewage spills and illegal dumping, as well as measurable targets
and deadlines for municipalities. And that is where the political debate begins. Critics have described
the manifesto as full of familiar promises that are difficult to believe given the ANC's record in local government. The Daily Maverick's Manifesto Test, for example, questions whether the party can
realistically fix problems that have developed under its own watch. So, is this genuinely a new approach to local government — or are South Africans being asked to believe the same promises
one more time? We're putting that directly to ANC spokesperson Mahlengi.