ANC’s return to power depends on its councillors: Ramaphosa

African National Congress (ANC) President Cyril Ramaphosa says the party’s councillors across the country are their only hope to return the party to its former glory.

He was speaking while introducing the party’s Service Delivery Action Plan to over 4 500 councillors at the FNB Stadium outside Soweto.

The plan seeks to revitalise local government and make it work better for the people.

The ANC lost an outright majority in Gauteng Metros in the 2021 local government polls and only garnered 40% of the vote in the 2024 national elections.

Ramaphosa says ANC councillors are at the coalface of service delivery.

“The most essential ingredient in our Action Plan for local government are yourselves as councillors who must take up this task. Comrades, without you doing anything we are dead. We are dead and it basically means we may just as well pack up and go home.”

“You are the ones who are supposed to turn things around and what we are doing is being a catalyst. At this crucial moment, we need the 4 708 councillors of the ANC to be dedicated, to be capable and to accountable leaders,” adds Ramaphosa.