JOHANNESBURG, Gauteng — The African National Congress (ANC) has officially reviewed its five-year service delivery record, reflecting on the progress made since its 2021 local government elections manifesto. During a comprehensive media briefing held at Luthuli House, party leaders evaluated critical developments across the housing, water, and energy sectors, acknowledging notable improvements while conceding that more work is required to ensure reliable basic services and the employment of skilled personnel.
Addressing the national energy landscape, ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) member and Minister of Electricity Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa confirmed that the era of severe load shedding has been successfully eliminated during the period under review. However, he stressed that “load reduction” remains a pressing, unresolved issue in both Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. While the national electricity supply has now reached a surplus, Ramokgopa cautioned that power has become increasingly unaffordable, particularly for lower-income households, prompting the formulation of new policies to address the pricing crisis.
Dr. Ramokgopa also addressed growing concerns from labor unions regarding the establishment of the Transmission System Operator (TSO), which some fear equates to the privatization of the electricity sector. Reassuring stakeholders, the Electricity Minister affirmed that the transmission network will never be privatized, describing it as a “naturally occurring monopoly” in line with unequivocal directives from the President. He noted that his current assignment, alongside the Minister of Finance and a dedicated technical team, is to manage the complex transfer of assets from the Eskom group to the TSO—a wholly owned state entity. This transition requires determining a fair market value for the assets to appropriately compensate Eskom and manage any resulting fiscal exposure on the state’s balance sheet.
On the front of human settlements, ANC NEC member and Minister of Human Settlements Thembi Simelane reported a significant reduction in informal settlements, which have dropped from 16.2% to 8.1% [[1]]. Simelane emphasized that the government’s objective extends beyond merely investing in mixed-development projects; it is fundamentally aimed at dismantling the economic impediments caused by spatial injustice. The current human settlements portfolio is robust, featuring approximately 1,887 selected projects distributed across nine provinces and 174 municipalities. This massive undertaking represents a recorded investment value of over R160 billion and is expected to deliver vital housing and related outputs benefiting more than 385,000 households.
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Water and Sanitation David Mahlobo highlighted substantial financial commitments to developing water resources and repairing aging infrastructure. Over the past five years, approximately R156 billion has been made available through various grants and subsidies to bolster local service delivery. Despite this heavy investment, Mahlobo stressed the critical necessity of deploying skilled professionals to ensure that municipal infrastructure functions correctly and “taps actually release water.”
Mahlobo issued a stern warning regarding underperforming local governments, stating that the national department will not hesitate to invoke its statutory powers to intervene where municipalities fail to deliver. “We cannot actually expose citizens to mediocrity and non-delivery,” he asserted, making it clear that the national government will step in when local authorities cannot fulfill their mandates.
The ruling party is now gearing up for the future and is scheduled to officially launch its 2026 local government elections manifesto next Sunday, August 23.