Gloves off as ANC and DA fight for Johannesburg
The ANC says it is not “scared” of the DA’s bid to reclaim control of Johannesburg, insisting it remains confident of its electoral support despite mounting pressure over the city’s service delivery failures.
The African National Congress (ANC) and Democratic Alliance (DA) are currently in a fierce battle to regain control of Johannesburg, the economic hub of Gauteng province in South Africa. This comes ahead of the local government elections set for November 4th, where the ANC aims to retain its grip on the municipality. ANC NEC member Stella Ndabeni has stated that the party is not intimidated by the DA's efforts to reclaim control.
She emphasized that the ANC remains confident in its support base and its ability to hold onto power. The ANC has faced criticism for poor governance and administration, and is under pressure to improve its performance in the upcoming elections. Despite not having announced its mayoral candidates yet, several rivals of the ANC have finalized their slates.
Ndabeni cited the ANC's victory in Johannesburg from 1994 to 2016 as a period of success, emphasizing that the city's decline began after the ANC lost control to the DA in 2016. The party has made efforts to review its performance and identify ways to intervene in struggling municipalities, acknowledging past mistakes and the need for stronger accountability mechanisms.
The DA, however, rejects Ndabeni's claims, arguing that Johannesburg improved after the ANC lost power in 2016 and that the party must take responsibility for the city's current failures. Johannesburg is expected to be a highly contested contest in the elections, with veteran politician Frank Chikane leading the ANC's mayoral candidacy.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
