Speaking to African National Congress (ANC) delegates at a conference over the weekend, Cyril Ramaphosa said that municipal government failures were often severe.

According to Ramaphosa, “Failures can be so severe that in some places water and sewage run through the streets of our townships and towns and into our people’s homes, placing our people at risk of disease, and compounding this is the frequent delay in repairing municipal infrastructure.”

He said such failures harmed the standing of the ANC in society.

Data seen by The Common Sense show that levels of violent protest increased by several hundred percent over the past decade as communities took to the streets to protest failing government services. The failure to respond effectively to the protest tide, in turn, saw electoral support for the ANC begin to slip, causing the party to lose the 2024 national elections.

South Africa goes to local-government polls in late 2026 or early 2027, which will in some respects serve as a referendum on whether the ANC has been able to improve its delivery track record.