ANC Declares 2026 a ‘Year of Decisive Action’ as Local Government and Economic Reform Take Centre Stage

JOHANNESBURG – The African National Congress has set an uncompromising tone for 2026, declaring the year a decisive turning point to fix South Africa’s failing local government system and accelerate economic transformation, as the governing party confronts waning public trust, stubborn unemployment, and an increasingly competitive political landscape ahead of local government elections.

Addressing the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) Lekgotla in Ekurhuleni, President Cyril Ramaphosa framed the year ahead as one where implementation, rather than policy ambition, must finally take precedence. The message was clear: South Africa’s crisis is no longer one of ideas, but of execution.

“South Africa’s most persistent development constraint is not a lack of vision,” Ramaphosa told party leaders. “It is the gap between policy ambition and implementation.”

The Lekgotla, traditionally a strategic planning forum for the ANC, took place against a complex backdrop. While the country recorded four consecutive quarters of economic growth in 2025 and experienced a year almost free of load shedding, unemployment remains unacceptably high, service delivery failures persist in many municipalities, and confidence in state institutions remains fragile.

Fixing Local Government

Local government emerged as the ANC’s most urgent priority, with the party acknowledging that municipal collapse has become one of the clearest symbols of state failure for ordinary South Africans.

Auditor-General reports have repeatedly highlighted political interference, weak financial controls, and poor administrative capacity as core drivers of dysfunction. The ANC now says it intends to insulate professional administration from political meddling, while tightening accountability for councillors and officials alike.

The party pointed to eThekwini as a partial success story, citing improvements in public transport infrastructure, reductions in derelict buildings, and a modest restoration of public confidence reflected in rising tourism numbers.

READ MORE: ANC’s January 8 Statement Sets Out Search for Renewal and ‘Decisive Action’

However, it also conceded that progress in major metros such as Johannesburg has been slower than expected, largely due to fractured cooperation between political and administrative leadership.

With local government elections looming in 2026, the ANC is under pressure to demonstrate tangible improvements. The party has committed to fielding candidates “with the requisite skills and highest integrity,” with compulsory ethics training forming part of the selection process.

Economic Reform

Economically, the ANC struck a cautiously optimistic note. South Africa’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list, a sovereign credit rating upgrade, and a stronger rand in 2025 have helped stabilise sentiment in financial markets.

The JSE All Share Index rose by over 30 per cent last year, while government bond yields declined to levels last seen in 2017. Foreign investors reportedly purchased more than R100 billion in South African government bonds, signalling renewed confidence in macroeconomic management.

Yet Ramaphosa warned that modest growth rates and persistent unemployment demand faster, more inclusive action. Central to the ANC’s economic agenda is infrastructure-led growth, backed by an unprecedented R1 trillion public infrastructure commitment over the next three years.

READ MORE: South Africa’s ANC Says It Needs To Reform To Regain Support

Electricity reform, logistics and rail restructuring, and water security were identified as critical network sectors requiring sustained momentum. The party also reiterated its intention to expand private sector participation through simplified public-private partnership frameworks, while keeping strategic assets under public ownership and regulation.

Small businesses and the informal sector, long cited as engines of job creation, are expected to receive renewed attention through regulatory reform and better-targeted financial support.

Crime, Corruption and Trust Deficit

Despite progress in rebuilding institutions hollowed out during the era of state capture, the ANC acknowledged that most South Africans have yet to feel safer in their communities. High-profile commissions of inquiry and allegations of criminal infiltration within the police service continue to erode public confidence.

The party committed to intensifying its fight against organised crime, infrastructure sabotage, illegal mining and corruption, while mobilising communities through strengthened Community Policing Forums.

Gender-based violence and femicide, now classified as a national disaster, remain a major political and moral challenge. The ANC conceded that existing interventions have not yet translated into reduced levels of violence, calling for stronger coordination and broader societal mobilisation.

The ANC also framed 2026 as a symbolic year, marking the 30th anniversary of South Africa’s Constitution. The party views the National Dialogue process as an opportunity to rebuild social cohesion and reconnect citizens with democratic institutions.

Drawing parallels with the drafting of the Freedom Charter and the Constitution itself, Ramaphosa emphasised that the dialogue must be inclusive, citizen-led, and free from gatekeeping.

At a time of rising political fragmentation and global instability, the ANC positioned constitutional democracy as a unifying anchor, even as it faces its most competitive electoral environment since 1994.

The Lekgotla closed with a sober acknowledgement that progress remains uneven and fragile. While economic indicators have improved, structural weaknesses persist across state institutions, and public patience is thin.