Cape Town – ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has acknowledged that the African National Congress (ANC) made mistakes while governing Johannesburg but insists coalition governments have significantly hindered service delivery and the city’s development.
Speaking outside at the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Boksburg on Friday, Mbalula said the party’s election manifesto would soon be rolled out across municipalities as it prepares for the upcoming Local Government Elections.
“We know we are suffering the Achilles heel of coalition governments. We lost Johannesburg 10 years ago to the hands of the coalition,” Mbalula said.
He argued that Johannesburg’s service delivery challenges intensified after the ANC lost control of the metro, saying issues such as uncollected refuse and deteriorating roads were not as prevalent under ANC-led administrations.
Mbalula said electricity remained one of the city’s biggest challenges, particularly in Soweto, where Eskom debt has weighed heavily on residents and government efforts.
LGE 2026 | ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula admits the party made mistakes while governing Johannesburg, but says coalition governments have hampered service delivery and progress. pic.twitter.com/EzahwIuijz
— SABC News (@SABCNews) August 7, 2026
“We only had the challenge of electricity in Johannesburg, particularly the Eskom liability in Soweto, which had risen to about R19 billion. We brought it down to R9 billion, but we are still struggling with it,” he said.
According to Mbalula, the ANC had engaged Eskom to improve electricity billing and meter readings in affected communities but acknowledged that residents continue to experience ongoing electricity-related difficulties.
Despite defending the ANC’s record, Mbalula admitted the governing party was not without fault and accepted responsibility for mistakes made while in office.
“We will not hide our weaknesses and the fact that indeed, we too have committed mistakes in terms of local government,” he said.
However, he maintained that coalition governments had weakened the ANC’s ability to implement its programmes and drive social transformation in municipalities it once governed.
“We will not fudge the fact that coalition governments have affected our ability to accelerate social transformation in different communities where we once governed well and effectively,” Mbalula said.
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