ANC says it can rescue Joburg, but where is the turnaround plan?

The City of Johannesburg faces numerous challenges, including poor service delivery, crime, corruption, electricity and water outages, potholes, and informal settlements, according to ANC NEC member Dickson Masemola. The ANC claims it inherited these issues when the coalition government began in 2016 under a DA-led administration.

Masemola, the deputy chairperson of the local government intervention task team, spoke at a media briefing on Wednesday to discuss the review of the ANC's 2021 Local Government Elections Manifesto and preparations for the upcoming local government elections on November 4.

The ANC has faced criticism for its poor governance and administration, and political analysts question whether it can govern the city alone effectively. Masemola insists that the ANC can fix Johannesburg, pointing to its record in the city under former mayor Amos Masondo and Father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa. He argues that the city's problems began in earnest after the ANC lost control of Johannesburg in the 2016 local government elections, when it lost its council majority and coalition politics took hold.

Masemola argues that coalition governments have contributed to the deterioration of governance and service delivery in Johannesburg and other municipalities. He believes leadership is the key to addressing these issues and calls on voters in Johannesburg, Nelson Mandela Bay, Buffalo City, Tshwane, and other coalition-ruled municipalities to return the ANC to power with a clear mandate.

The ANC is expected to unveil its mayoral candidates after the NEC concludes its selection process, and the party will launch its manifesto on August 23, outlining its promises to voters ahead of the elections.