DA HAILS RAMAPHOSA’S ’s PRAISE AS RECOGNITION WHERE IT'S ’s DUE

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has welcomed President Cyril Ramaphosa’s acknowledgment of the superior performance of DA-led municipalities, framing it as recognition of the party’s commitment to efficient and transparent local governance.

Speaking to over 4,000 ANC councillors at the FNB Stadium in Soweto on Monday, Ramaphosa urged his party representatives to study the performance of DA-run municipalities. 

He admitted it was “painful” to concede that some of South Africa’s best-managed municipalities are under DA control. “Those municipalities that do best are not ANC-controlled municipalities... they are often DA-controlled municipalities,” the president said, citing Cape Town and Stellenbosch as examples. 

He stressed that adopting these practices is crucial to improving service delivery and audit outcomes, warning that failure to do so could pose an “existential threat” to the ANC in local elections.

The DA responded positively, thanking Ramaphosa for “recognition where it’s due.” In a statement, the party highlighted its track record, noting that where it governs, it “delivers services, spends public money on the public, and eliminates corruption.” 

DA Federal Council Chairperson Helen Zille echoed this on social media, saying the president’s remarks underscore the party’s reputation for effective administration and expressing hope that the broader public takes note.

Ramaphosa’s comments come amid heightened scrutiny of municipal performance. The Auditor-General’s 2023/24 report revealed that only 16% of South Africa’s 257 municipalities received clean audits?many of them DA-led while ANC-controlled councils continue to face irregular expenditure and mismanagement. 

The exchange marks a rare moment of cross-party acknowledgment in South Africa’s often polarized political landscape, coinciding with efforts to foster cooperative governance following the Government of National Unity formed after the May 2024 national elections. As local goverment elections approach, the DA’s municipal performance may reinforce its campaign narrative of “getting things done.”