CR’s comments on ANC municipalities spark accusations of sabotage

President Cyril Ramaphosa's comments regarding ANC-run municipalities were damaging and the platform he used was not appropriate.

This is the reaction of ANC councillors and mayors to the ANC leader's utterances that party leaders should learn from DA-run municipalities. The timing and the platform used to air the remarks have exposed them to being mocked and de-campaigned by the opposition, they added.

Other ANC leaders took to social media to accuse Ramaphosa of being an “agent” sabotaging the ANC on behalf of the DA.

During a roll call with ANC councillors at the FNB stadium on Monday, Ramaphosa said that DA-run municipalities were in much better shape than those of the ANC. 

"What is it that they are doing that is better than what we are doing?" He added, "We need to be moving up the ladder of being good at what we do; we cannot remain at the bottom. It hurts me deeply when I continue to see that our (ANC) municipalities sometimes move backwards."

A councillor from Msunduzi Municipality stated that the remarks were damaging but true. “He spoke like a businessman, and we have to learn from others.” He added that the remarks gave the opposition something to campaign on.

“They are already using this in slogans and campaigning against us, but we understand that we are heading towards elections and we have come across as fools who do not do the work. The statement could have been made privately, but we hope that by the time the elections come, things will have changed. If we focus on our jobs and deliver, I believe the public's confidence in us will return.”

“It was clear during the engagement that the problems faced by municipalities across the country are the same: it's water, it's ageing infrastructure, it's potholes. The message was clear that we were told that we must improve all these service delivery matters.”

The leadership raised concerns about the lack of consequence management and the shortage of funds.

“In my own municipality of Msunduzi, there is a shortage of money. As a ward councillor, I am elected with a mandate from the community based on their needs, only to find that we cannot implement some of the projects because there is no money.”

"Another issue that we have been complaining about, which the leadership has assured us will be attended to, is that of consequence management. We have been complaining that there are managers who are just sitting with business plans and not doing the work," he said. 

An ANC member from the Midlands said: “I completely get the congressman in accepting and saying that the reality is that if we think we know it all and that all that is good comes from us alone, then we will be lying.”

Another ANC member said: “The opinions on the president's speech are divided. Some say he is right, and others disagree. Personally, I believe that he was correct in saying it; I just think he said it at the wrong place and the wrong time.”

Supporters of the party took exception to the comments, claiming that it was clear the president was intentionally trying to sabotage the ANC.

They rejected the narrative that there was good governance in DA municipalities.

"DA does not care about the people in the townships who live under its own municipalities. That is not good governance at all.”

Political analyst Asanda Ngoasheng told a news channel that the president's comments were dangerous as they gave the DA too much credit.

"I do wish he had qualified his statements further because having a good record of financial management does not mean the people who live in these municipalities are experiencing better services. If you look at where the DA governs, you would know that a lot of the suburbs do get good service and the quality of life of people who live in the suburbs is good. However, when you look at the people in townships and the lives they lead, it’s chalk and cheese, yet it’s the same party. So I think it's quite dangerous what he has said," she added, emphasising that good governance and transformation are important.

Cape Times