By JD GLOBAL MEDIA
African National Congress (ANC) president Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed confidence that his party will improve its performance in the Free State during the upcoming 2026 local government elections, as the governing party intensifies its campaign to retain voter support ahead of the November 4 poll.
Ramaphosa made the remarks during a door-to-door campaign in Botshabelo, within the Mangaung metropolitan municipality, on Saturday, October 10. His visit focused on engaging residents directly, discussing local challenges and promoting the ANC’s promises on housing, employment and economic development.
The campaign comes as the party seeks to reverse the decline in its electoral support recorded in the previous local government elections. In 2016, the ANC secured 60.53% of the vote in the Free State, but its share fell to just over 50% in 2021, according to the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s report on the campaign.
Ramaphosa said he believed the ANC could improve on its previous result and secure an outright victory. He argued that the party retained significant support among residents, although the election outcome will ultimately depend on voters’ decisions on polling day.
His remarks place the Free State campaign within the wider contest for control of municipalities, where political parties are competing over service delivery, housing, employment, infrastructure and confidence in local government.
Ramaphosa Takes Campaign Directly To Botshabelo Residents
Ramaphosa’s visit to Botshabelo formed part of the ANC’s preparations for the November local government elections.
Rather than limiting the campaign to speeches at a rally, the president participated in door-to-door engagement, meeting residents and hearing concerns about conditions in their communities.
Direct campaigning is an important feature of local elections because voters often judge parties on issues that affect their daily lives. These include access to adequate housing, reliable water and electricity, sanitation, road maintenance, waste collection and opportunities to earn a living.
In Botshabelo, housing and sanitation emerged as prominent concerns. Ramaphosa acknowledged the challenges facing residents, including the continued existence of informal settlements and the use of pit toilets and bucket sanitation systems.
The president said the Mangaung municipality and the provincial government were working to address informal settlements and improve housing provision. He also indicated that the ANC intended to pursue economic development and job creation as part of its campaign message.
However, campaign commitments must be distinguished from completed projects. Residents will ultimately assess whether promised improvements are delivered, whether existing services become more reliable and whether municipal authorities respond effectively to local needs.
The door-to-door campaign gave Ramaphosa an opportunity to present the ANC’s position directly to voters, but it also placed the party’s promises against the practical challenges residents continue to face.
ANC Seeks To Recover Lost Electoral Support
The ANC’s electoral performance in the Free State has declined from its stronger showing in the 2016 local government elections.
The party received 60.53% of the provincial vote in 2016 before its share fell to just over 50% in 2021. Although the ANC remained above the halfway mark in the province in the previous local government election, the decline indicated that a smaller proportion of voters supported it than five years earlier.
The change provides an important context for Ramaphosa’s confidence that the party can improve its position in 2026.
An election result reflects several factors, including voter turnout, local candidate performance, service delivery, party organisation and the appeal of competing political parties. A decline in vote share does not necessarily mean that all former supporters have moved to one rival. Some may have abstained, while others may have supported different parties.
The ANC’s challenge is therefore to persuade voters that it remains capable of governing municipalities effectively and addressing the problems that affect their daily lives.
For the party, the Free State is strategically important because of its historical support base and the role municipalities play in translating political commitments into practical services.
The provincial campaign will require the ANC to demonstrate that its promises are realistic, that local structures can implement them and that residents have reason to expect improvements.
Ramaphosa’s prediction of a better result is a political assessment rather than a forecast supported by published polling in the report. The actual result will depend on the campaign, voter participation and the decisions made at the ballot box.
Housing And Informal Settlements Remain Central Issues
Housing was one of the major issues raised during Ramaphosa’s engagement with Botshabelo residents.
The president acknowledged that informal settlements had expanded in the Mangaung metropolitan area and said the municipality was working to regularise settlements and provide adequate housing.
Informal settlements can develop when households cannot access affordable formal accommodation, when urban populations grow faster than housing supply or when planning and infrastructure provision fail to keep pace with demand.
The challenges vary from community to community. Some settlements may require improved access to water, sanitation and electricity, while others need formal planning, land administration and the eventual provision of permanent housing.
Regularisation can involve identifying settlement boundaries, addressing land ownership and planning issues, assessing environmental risks and providing basic services where feasible. It does not necessarily mean that every household will immediately receive a formal house.
Housing delivery also requires coordination between different levels of government. Municipalities play important roles in spatial planning, local infrastructure and service provision, while provincial and national departments have responsibilities within the broader housing framework.
These processes can take time, particularly where land constraints, funding shortages, infrastructure backlogs or administrative difficulties arise.
For Botshabelo residents, the central issue is whether government interventions will translate into improved living conditions and a credible pathway towards adequate housing.
Ramaphosa said the municipality and the provincial government were addressing the challenges, but the available campaign report did not provide a detailed timetable, budget or number of houses expected to be delivered as a result of the commitments.
The government’s progress will therefore need to be assessed through subsequent announcements and measurable delivery.
Sanitation Challenges Put Service Delivery Under Scrutiny
The continued use of pit toilets and bucket sanitation systems was also identified as a major challenge in Botshabelo.
Sanitation is one of the most immediate tests of local government performance because it affects public health, dignity, environmental conditions and the quality of everyday life.
Households without adequate sanitation may face greater exposure to health risks and may have to rely on arrangements that do not provide the privacy, convenience or safety associated with properly maintained facilities.
The scale of a sanitation backlog can also reflect wider infrastructure challenges. Providing appropriate facilities may require land, water connections, sewerage systems, treatment capacity, maintenance funding and coordination between municipal and provincial authorities.
In areas where conventional sewer infrastructure is difficult or expensive to extend, government may need to assess alternative solutions while ensuring that they meet applicable health and safety standards.
However, the continued presence of inadequate sanitation systems can undermine public confidence when residents believe that improvements have been promised repeatedly without sufficient progress.
For political parties, the issue is therefore both a service-delivery responsibility and an electoral concern.
The ANC’s campaign in Botshabelo presents the party with an opportunity to explain how it intends to address sanitation problems, what resources will be required and how residents will be informed about progress.
A credible response would need to go beyond acknowledging the problem. It would require a practical plan, clearly identified responsibilities, appropriate funding and a way for residents to assess whether implementation is taking place.
The campaign report did not specify a completion date for resolving the sanitation challenges raised in Botshabelo.
Economic Development And Jobs Form Part Of The Message
Ramaphosa also promoted economic development and job creation during the campaign.
Employment remains a major concern for South African households, particularly young people and those struggling to enter the labour market. Local government cannot resolve every cause of unemployment, but municipalities can influence the environment in which businesses operate and people seek work.
Reliable electricity, effective waste management, functioning roads, predictable planning processes and well-maintained public infrastructure can all contribute to economic activity.
Municipalities can also support local enterprise through fair procurement, business-support programmes, market access and coordination with provincial and national economic-development initiatives.
In Botshabelo, Ramaphosa referred to an economic boost that included electric-vehicle manufacturing and the creation of jobs for people across different age groups. The campaign message connected local economic opportunities with the ANC’s broader development commitments.
For such promises to produce tangible results, residents would need information about the projects involved, the organisations responsible, the proposed investment, the anticipated number of jobs and the timetable for implementation.
Manufacturing projects can create direct employment at production facilities while supporting additional work in transport, maintenance, logistics, supply chains and related services. Their actual impact depends on whether investment proceeds, what skills are required and how many local workers can access the opportunities.
Job creation also needs to be considered alongside job quality, wages, training and the sustainability of employment after an initial project phase.
The campaign report did not establish that the proposed economic opportunities had already delivered new jobs in Botshabelo. The comments should therefore be understood as part of the ANC’s campaign commitments rather than evidence that the promised employment has been achieved.
The ANC's Confidence Will Be Tested At The Ballot Box
Ramaphosa said he believed the ANC could win outright in the upcoming local government elections and perform better than it did in 2021.
His confidence reflects the party’s effort to mobilise supporters and persuade voters that it remains the best option for governing municipalities.
Political leaders often use campaign events to demonstrate optimism, strengthen the morale of party volunteers and encourage supporters to participate in elections. Such statements are part of political campaigning and do not establish what voters will ultimately decide.
The ANC’s performance will be affected by conditions across individual municipalities, the strength of opposition campaigns, the credibility of candidates and residents’ experiences of local government.
A party can retain support in one municipality while losing ground in another. Local elections also allow voters to distinguish between national political leadership and their assessments of the councillors and municipal administrations closest to them.
The ANC’s ability to improve its provincial vote share will therefore depend on more than Ramaphosa’s visits or the number of campaign events held.
It will need to persuade voters that its candidates understand local problems, that its proposed solutions are achievable and that the party can be held accountable for its commitments.
Opposition parties will have their own opportunity to argue that different leadership or policies could produce better outcomes.
Ultimately, the election will provide the clearest measure of whether the ANC’s campaign message has persuaded enough voters to support the party.
Local Government Elections Focus Attention On Municipal Performance
The 2026 local government elections are important because municipalities are responsible for services that residents encounter every day.
Although national politics often dominates public debate, local government decisions affect water provision, sanitation, waste removal, local roads, municipal planning and aspects of the environment in which businesses and households operate.
The performance of a municipality can therefore influence how residents evaluate the party or coalition governing it.
Where services are reliable, infrastructure is maintained and municipal administration responds to complaints, residents may be more willing to support the governing party. Where problems persist, voters may demand a change in leadership or support a different political organisation.
The relationship is not automatic. Voters also consider party identity, candidate reputation, national issues and their expectations about the alternatives.
Nevertheless, service delivery is likely to remain a central subject in the campaign because the consequences of municipal decisions are visible in communities.
In Botshabelo, housing and sanitation concerns illustrate the practical issues facing residents. The ANC’s campaign must show how its proposed interventions would address those needs and how progress could be measured.
The election also creates an opportunity for other parties to present alternative plans, challenge existing performance and explain how they would manage municipal finances and services.
A meaningful campaign should enable voters to compare proposals, question candidates and evaluate what each party has achieved where it has previously held power.
Campaign Promises Need Clear Measures Of Progress
Ramaphosa’s visit included commitments to address housing difficulties, informal settlements, sanitation and economic development. Those issues are substantial, and progress will depend on planning, financing and implementation.
For residents, a useful way to assess campaign promises is to ask what specific changes are proposed, which institution will be responsible, what resources are available and when results should become visible.
For example, a housing commitment can be evaluated through information about land availability, project approvals, construction progress and the number of households expected to benefit.
Sanitation improvements can be assessed by examining the facilities to be provided, the infrastructure required, the maintenance arrangements and the proportion of affected households reached.
Employment commitments can be evaluated through confirmed investment, the number of jobs created, the skills required and the duration of those jobs.
These measures help distinguish between broad political aspirations and projects that have moved into implementation.
They also make it easier for residents to hold elected representatives accountable after the election. If a party wins office on a promise to improve a particular service, residents can compare its later performance with the commitments made during the campaign.
The ANC’s confidence about its electoral prospects will therefore be tested against the experiences and expectations of voters.
What The Campaign Means For The Free State Political Contest
The Free State campaign is part of a wider competition among political parties seeking control of municipalities ahead of the November 4 election.
Ramaphosa’s presence in Botshabelo demonstrates the importance the ANC attaches to the province and its effort to strengthen voter engagement.
The party’s decline in vote share between 2016 and 2021 means that an improved result would represent a recovery from its previous performance. However, the scale of any improvement will only become clear once the election results are available.
The ANC’s rivals will seek to challenge the governing party’s record and present their own proposals for housing, sanitation, employment and municipal administration.
For voters, the contest provides an opportunity to assess competing claims and decide which candidates and policies best address their priorities.
The campaign will also test the ability of political parties to mobilise supporters, communicate their messages and maintain credibility in communities where public services remain a concern.
No single campaign visit can determine the outcome across the province. The result will reflect voting decisions in individual municipalities and wards, as well as overall turnout and the distribution of support among competing parties.
Ramaphosa has expressed confidence, but the electoral challenge remains substantial because the party must translate its campaign message into voter support.
What Happens Next?
As the November 4 local government elections approach, the ANC is expected to continue engaging communities and promoting its plans for municipal government.
For Botshabelo, attention will remain on whether the housing, sanitation and economic-development commitments discussed during Ramaphosa’s visit lead to clear plans and measurable progress.
The ANC will need to persuade residents that it can improve on its previous electoral performance, while opposition parties will seek to demonstrate that they offer credible alternatives.
The next phase of the campaign will provide further opportunities for voters to question candidates, compare proposals and assess the record of parties currently governing municipalities.
Ramaphosa’s prediction of an outright victory is one side of the political contest. The response from residents and the results recorded on election day will determine whether that confidence is justified.
Conclusion
ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa has predicted that the party will improve its performance in the Free State during the 2026 local government elections, pointing to continued support for the organisation and its campaign activities in communities such as Botshabelo.
The party’s vote share in the province fell from 60.53% in 2016 to just over 50% in 2021, providing a clear backdrop to its effort to recover lost support.
During his door-to-door campaign on October 10, Ramaphosa highlighted housing, informal settlements, sanitation and job creation as issues the ANC intends to address. He said the municipality and provincial government were working to improve conditions, while also promoting economic-development opportunities.
Those commitments will need to be measured against implementation. Residents require practical improvements in housing, sanitation and employment opportunities, not only assurances delivered during election campaigns.
The ANC’s electoral prospects will depend on whether voters believe its proposals are credible and whether the party can persuade them that it offers the best option for local government.
Ramaphosa remains confident that the party can improve its result, but the final decision rests with voters when they cast their ballots on November 4.
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