Voters are abandoning the once-dominant ruling party as basic services collapse completely across the heartland. The African National Congress faces an electoral nightmare in the Free State, where support has plummeted amid sewage spills and pothole epidemics. Recent by-elections in Mangaung and Lejweleputswa saw opposition parties chipping away at previously safe margins while the governing organization barely held onto wards.
Deputy Secretary-General Nomvula Mokonyane admitted that internal renewal remains urgent because voters feel tired of empty promises. She acknowledged during recent oversight visits that municipalities are failing residents who deal with dry taps and broken infrastructure daily. Leadership struggles to mobilize frustrated communities ahead of the 2026 local government elections as internal factionalism disrupts candidate selection lists.
President Cyril Ramaphosa used the January 8 anniversary rally to promise better governance, yet his motorcade drove past crumbling roads to deliver that message. Critics argue that pledges to fix local government ring hollow when unemployment sits at crisis levels throughout the province. The Economic Freedom Fighters and Democratic Alliance continue poaching support from disillusioned residents who see no tangible changes on the ground.
Alliance partners like the SACP threaten to contest independently, which splits the vote further in battleground regions. Party bosses hope a new ten-point plan will stop the bleeding, but analysts suggest the organization might lose its absolute majority if service delivery does not improve immediately. Everyone watches to see if this fading giant can self-correct before total collapse occurs.
Deputy Secretary-General Nomvula Mokonyane admitted that internal renewal remains urgent because voters feel tired of empty promises. She acknowledged during recent oversight visits that municipalities are failing residents who deal with dry taps and broken infrastructure daily. Leadership struggles to mobilize frustrated communities ahead of the 2026 local government elections as internal factionalism disrupts candidate selection lists.
President Cyril Ramaphosa used the January 8 anniversary rally to promise better governance, yet his motorcade drove past crumbling roads to deliver that message. Critics argue that pledges to fix local government ring hollow when unemployment sits at crisis levels throughout the province. The Economic Freedom Fighters and Democratic Alliance continue poaching support from disillusioned residents who see no tangible changes on the ground.
Alliance partners like the SACP threaten to contest independently, which splits the vote further in battleground regions. Party bosses hope a new ten-point plan will stop the bleeding, but analysts suggest the organization might lose its absolute majority if service delivery does not improve immediately. Everyone watches to see if this fading giant can self-correct before total collapse occurs.
