President Cyril Ramaphosa shrugged off poll projections on Wednesday, insisting during a campaign stop in KwaZulu-Natal that the African National Congress is the only party that can turn around municipalities. Speaking in eMaGabheni, south of Durban, the ANC president brushed aside predictions regarding the upcoming local government elections.
Polls indicate that the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) appears to be the favourite among eThekwini residents. There are predictions that the ANC will continue declining in the municipalities they control. Yet, Ramaphosa struck a defiant note while addressing voters, making it clear that his party is looking past the numbers.
“Polls are polls, and we note polls, and we continue with our work. We are campaigning for a victory. We note polls, we read them, and we put them aside and just focus on the work that we are doing,” Ramaphosa said on Wednesday.
The sentiment was echoed by provincial figures. Thanduxolo Sabelo, the ANC’s eThekwini coordinator, expressed confidence that the party will regain most of the lost ground from 2024, noting that the campaign they are driving in the regions suggests they will get much support from the people.
Ground-Level Realities and Municipal Promises in eThekwini
The electoral battleground in KwaZulu-Natal carries weight for the ruling party. In the 2024 national and provincial elections, the uMkhonto we Sizwe party secured ballots from 48% of voters located in eThekwini. The ANC mother-body disbanded the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) in the province following the elections. Despite this, Ramaphosa insisted that local residents are responding positively to the party.
The campaign trail forced leadership to confront municipal failures head-on. Residents in eMaGabheni raised concerns regarding water shortages and the lack of jobs. Ramaphosa promised that bulk water issues are being addressed through infrastructure improvements and installing pipes, while water is being delivered by trucks as a temporary measure.
Interactions with community members on the ground also brought social grant allocations and electricity tariff concerns to the forefront. Ramaphosa assured residents that work is underway to reduce the cost of electricity and pointed to support systems designed to provide free electricity to indigent people.
Security Interventions and the Shadow of Political Violence
Beyond municipal delivery, the campaign has unfolded against a backdrop of security concerns. Ramaphosa used his platform to condemn the political killings in KwaZulu-Natal, specifically targeting the killing of councillor candidates.
“All those who are killing councillors, who are killing candidates, are really seeking to destroy the efficacy of our democracy because they are trying to roll back the gains that we have made in the democratic architecture that we have set up as the people of South Africa. We condemn the killing of councillor candidates, whether serving or prospective, in the strongest terms,” Ramaphosa said.
The security climate also prompted the deployment of more than 500 soldiers in the province. Troops were sent to the region following reports of looting and violent demonstrations earlier in the month across sectors of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal, which unfolded alongside false claims regarding a Constitutional Court judgment concerning asylum seekers. Ramaphosa defended the state’s intervention, stressing that the government is responsible for addressing illegal migration and that the deployment of the army is aimed at restoring stability in eThekwini.
The president urged all eligible voters to exercise their democratic right and participate in the elections. He emphasized that local government is where many of the aspirations of our democracy must find practical expression.
As the election date draws closer, the central question remains whether the ANC can reverse its trajectory in its stronghold, or if the MK Party will reshape the political architecture of KwaZulu-Natal.
