How 'ANC Mondays on the Ground' aims to transform local governance ahead of elections
The ANC and its Secretary-General, Fikile Mbalula addressed a media briefing detailing the party's recent visit to the Nelson Mandela Region in the Eastern Cape on Monday.
Image: ANC
The ANC has unveiled its new initiative, "ANC Mondays on the Ground", which aims to tackle and resolve service delivery challenges in the metros and local municipalities.
The initiative comes as the party and its national office bearers, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, engaged in a series of community and service delivery oversight activities across the Nelson Mandela Region.
The visit also saw the party's National Working Committee (NWC) meet with the PEC and REC in Nelson Mandela Bay to receive reports on the state of the organisation.
On Monday, addressing a media briefing, ANC Secretary General (SG) Fikile Mbalula said the party stands ready to tackle the upcoming local government elections, set for November 4.
"This week, the African National Congress (ANC) National Working Committee (NWC) met with its Provincial and Regional Executive Committees. The RWC received detailed reports from local leadership, including governance updates from the Executive Mayor. The reports from various ANC structures provided a consolidated view of the municipality's performance, acknowledging progress in specific projects while noting persistent systemic challenges in infrastructure maintenance and financial management," Mbalula stated.
Mbalula, following the unveiling of "ANC Mondays on the Ground", which will facilitate similar engagements across all metropolitan municipalities and extend the party's commitment to service delivery to secondary cities, committed the party to doing anything to ensure that the ANC does not return to coalitions.
The party's strategy aims to ensure that no community is neglected in the drive to address local governance issues. "Next Monday, we are in Mangaung, followed by a return to the Eastern Cape. This nationwide rollout will accompany regular public reporting, community engagement, and structured feedback mechanisms to promote transparency and accountability," Mbalula added.
Despite organisational challenges in the province, which has seen the party's Eastern Cape provincial conference placed on hold to allow the party to respond to the court order, Mbalula expressed confidence in the ANC's prospects.
"The journey to the next election has begun, and victory is certain. The ANC will engage and do anything in its power to ensure that we do not return to coalitions. Our strength on the ground to deliver on service delivery has also been weakened by coalition politics."