Ramaphosa Praises DA-Run Councils, While ANC Watches Its Own Funeral

President Cyril Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa, who had summoned thousands of African National Congress (ANC) councillors from across the country to FNB Stadium for what was effectively a roll call, stunned his comrades when he instructed them to look to Democratic Alliance (DA)-run municipalities as the benchmark for well-governed local councils.

Ramaphosa openly lamented the fact that well-run municipalities are seldom ANC-controlled. Instead, he noted, they are often DA-controlled.

“We need to ask ourselves what it is they are doing that is better than what we are doing … And there’s nothing wrong with us saying we want to go and see what Cape Town is doing. We want to go and see what Stellenbosch is doing,” he said.

This is not the first time Ramaphosa has brought the ANC into disrepute. A few years ago, he conceded that the ANC was “number one when it comes to corruption”, a statement that also infuriated his comrades. Yet they could do nothing; he is, after all, the boss.

Still, serious questions need to be asked: why would the president of a party that has been bleeding electoral support for years choose to decampaign it so spectacularly? What does he stand to gain?

Everyone knows the ANC is in the ICU, but is it fair that the person supposedly tasked with restoring it to its former glory should be the one delivering the fatal blows? Renowned political analyst Prince Mashele once remarked that “Jacob Zuma killed the ANC and Ramaphosa is ensuring a smooth burial.” I couldn't agree more.

But is it fair to heap all the blame on Ramaphosa when other senior ANC leaders have also spoken scathingly about the former liberation movement?

• ANC national chair Gwede Mantashe has described the party as “arrogant and out of touch with South Africa.”

• Former Gauteng premier David Makhura accused it of being “preoccupied with self-interest and factionalism.”

• Even the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) recently branded the party “a symbol of corruption and broken promises.”

Unsurprisingly, DA leaders and members are having a field day with Ramaphosa’s comments, gleefully circulating them on social media and saying they fully agree with his assessment of DA-run councils.

Yes - to quote Ramaphosa - it is free political marketing from the president of a party that crashed to 40% in the 2024 general election, and which many believe will slide even further during the upcoming 2026 local government electios. 

So who can blame the DA for milking the moment?

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