{
  "id": 16840343,
  "title": "Ramaphosa heads to KZN for ANC’s final push ahead of elections",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/28/ramaphosa-heads-to-kzn-for-ancs-final-push-ahead-of-elections",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-28T02:56:48.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Citizen",
    "slug": "the-citizen",
    "url": "https://www.citizen.co.za/news/south-africa/elections/ramaphosa-heads-kzn-ancs-final-election-push-local-polls-loom/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "With just a week remaining before South Africa's local government elections, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa will be leading vote canvassing and community outreach in the eThekwini region of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). The ANC stated that Ramaphosa will be present in the province on Wednesday and Thursday. Concerns were raised that \"The program will offer the president the chance to interact directly with residents, educators, and community members, hear their grievances, and highlight the ANC's dedication to enhancing service delivery and fostering better communities together,\" according to the ANC.\n\nRamaphosa has been touring the country throughout the party's election campaign, attempting to persuade South Africans to vote in favor of the ANC. This weekend, Ramaphosa was in Soweto, upholding the party's 32-year tenure in power, asserting that it achieved considerable transformation and development. The upcoming elections are anticipated to be fiercely competitive, given the pressing service delivery issues, such as inadequate water supply, electricity, and crime, that trouble numerous municipalities nationwide.\n\nRamaphosa, who typically casts his vote in Soweto, recognized the party's shortcomings but argued that its accomplishments surpass its shortcomings. When questioned about why people should continue to trust the ANC, Ramaphosa emphasized that the party has governed the nation for 32 years. \"Well, the ANC has been running government for 32 years and the transformation that we see in our country, whether people like it or not, whether they hate the ANC or not, has been brought about by the African National Congress,\" Ramaphosa stated. He acknowledged that the party has made mistakes, but asserted that people should continue to trust the ANC due to its experience and the progress it has made. \"And of course, along the way, there’ll be missteps, and there’ll also be areas where there’s been excellence. 'And when you do the balance, when you look at the balance sheet, there's more positive than negative. So, I always say that the glass is half full; in fact, here, three-quarters full,\" Ramaphosa added. Earlier this month, during the ANC's election campaign in the Western Cape, Ramaphosa claimed that the \"spatial architecture of apartheid\" is still evident across the province, highlighting ongoing inequality and inferior services for township residents compared to wealthier suburbs. Ramaphosa told reporters that the disparities in housing, infrastructure, and service delivery in the Western Cape, evident nearly three decades after democracy's inception, underscore the lingering effects of apartheid-era planning.",
  "summary": "Over the weekend, Ramaphosa was in Soweto, defending the party's 32-year record in government.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}