African National Congress (ANC) president Cyril Ramaphosa has urged voters to reject smaller political parties, which he described as “Mickey Mouse” parties, and support the ANC in the upcoming local government elections.
Ramaphosa made the remarks while addressing party supporters during a campaign in Daveyton, Ekurhuleni, on Tuesday.
He led a door-to-door campaign ahead of the much-anticipated November 4 elections.
During his engagements with residents, Ramaphosa said he had heard concerns about unemployment, poor service delivery, water shortages and potholes.
He argued that strengthening the ANC was necessary to improve residents’ lives and ensure the party could continue its work.
“So, in order to do all that, we must strengthen the ANC. The ANC must become strong, the ANC must have support, the ANC will get the support from all of you here,” he said.
“You all need to show that you support the ANC so that it can continue with all the work that it has been doing. On November 4, you must go out in your numbers.”
Ramaphosa blames coalitions for service delivery problems
Ramaphosa said coalition governments made it difficult for municipalities to deliver services, pointing to the ANC’s loss of its outright majority in Ekurhuleni following the 2021 local government elections.
In 2016, the ANC secured 49% of the vote in the metro.
By 2021, its support had fallen to 38.19%, leaving it unable to govern the city alone.
“In 2021, in the local government elections here in Ekurhuleni, the number of people who voted for the ANC decreased. And that is why the ANC lost its majority and was not able to lead the City of Ekurhuleni alone,” Ramaphosa said.
He said the election results had created an opportunity for other parties to enter a coalition government.
“It opened up a space for a coalition government with other parties, with the DA, EFF and others coming in. That’s when this started to get wrong,” he said.
Ramaphosa urged voters to give the ANC a majority to prevent what he described as further deterioration in the metro.
“So, if you don't want things to continue to get out of hand going forward, on November 4, you will need to go all out in your numbers to vote for the ANC,” he said.
He also dismissed rival parties campaigning in the area, suggesting they would be unable to improve residents’ lives.
“There will be other parties coming here to campaign, dressed in green, white, blue and other party regalia, doing door-to-door, saying ‘nywe-nywe-nywe’ - there’s nothing that they will do for you,” he claimed.
The ANC has faced sustained criticism over governance, administration and service delivery, placing the party under pressure to improve its performance in the upcoming elections.
Ekurhuleni’s turbulent coalition history
The 2021 municipal elections ended the ANC’s majority in Ekurhuleni, paving the way for DA councillor Tania Campbellto become the metro’s first non-ANC executive mayor, with 116 votes against ANC’s Mzwandile Masina with 105 votes.
Campbell’s tenure was marked by political instability. She was ousted in October 2022, briefly reinstated, then removedagain in March 2023.
AIC councillor Sivuyile Ngodwana replaced her but was removed in March 2024, paving the way for ANC councillor Nkosindiphile Doctor Xhakaza.
Ekurhuleni is currently governed by an ANC-led coalition with the Patriotic Alliance (PA) and National Freedom Party(NFP), following the EFF’s withdrawal.
Despite the ANC’s continued role in the administration, residents across the metro continue to face water shortages, poor waste management and sanitation, overgrown grass, poor infrastructure, malfunctioning traffic lights and roads, crime and allegations of corruption.
Ramaphosa said ANC councillors and the mayor would be held accountable if they failed to perform their duties.
“We vote for them not to steal public money. If they do, we will remove them from those positions,” he said.
“We need to show those small Mickey Mouse parties that Daveyton is the home of the ANC.”
Analyst warns of a changing political landscape
Speaking to IOL, political analyst Theo Neethling said Ramaphosa’s appeal was a natural attempt to mobilise the ANC’s support base ahead of the elections.
However, he said the November 4 poll must be viewed against the backdrop of an increasingly fragmented political landscape.
In the 2024 national elections, the ANC’s support fell to about 40%, ending its three-decade hold on an outright parliamentary majority.
“This does not signal the immediate disappearance of the ANC, but it does indicate a weakening of its position as the country’s undisputed, dominant political party. Naturally, this will cause the president concern regarding support for the ANC,” Neethling said.
He said recent analyses suggested that the ANC could lose further support in the local government elections as the DA, MK Party, EFF, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) and smaller parties competed for influence across the country.
Neethling said the ANC was likely to remain relatively strong in parts of the Eastern Cape, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and North West, where historical loyalty, established party structures and its liberation-era legacy continued to play a role.
However, he said the party’s position was increasingly vulnerable in other provinces.
“In KwaZulu-Natal, the emergence of the MK Party and the enduring presence of the IFP have fundamentally altered the political balance of power,” he said.
“In Gauteng - specifically in Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni - the ANC’s position is under threat from poor service delivery, perceptions of corruption and strong challenges from the opposition.”
Neethling added that the Western Cape remained the DA’s main power base, although its ability to expand beyond its traditional strongholds would be crucial to its national ambitions.
He said South Africa appeared to be moving towards a more permanent multi-party system in which no single party could consistently secure an outright majority.
“Consequently, the 2026 election will not merely be about control of municipalities; rather, it signals a shift towards a political system where coalitions - rather than single-party governance - become the standard form of political administration,” he said.
Neethling said these developments were likely to weigh heavily on Ramaphosa and explain his criticism of smaller parties and his warnings about coalition instability.
“Ultimately, the president’s views are linked to the political context in which the upcoming election will unfold and, in a sense, an attempt to salvage what can still be saved for the ANC,” he said.
Poll points to tight Ekurhuleni contest
According to polling data by Ipsos suggests the ANC and DA are heading for a closely contested race in Ekurhuleni.
The ANC leads with 24%, down from 38.19% in the 2021 municipal elections.
The DA follows with 21%, while the MK Party is projected to secure 18% and ActionSA 13%.
The figures suggest that no party is guaranteed an outright majority, raising the prospect of further coalition negotiations after the election.
Among the potential mayoral contenders are DA Gauteng legislature member Khathutshelo Rasilingwane, MK Party candidate Thulani Shongwe and ActionSA’s Xolani Khumalo.
The ANC’s potential candidates include incumbent mayor Xhakaza, the metro’s finance and strategy portfolio holder Dlabathi, council whip Pelisa Nkunjana and Ntombi Mekgwe.
Audit raises concerns over financial sustainability
The political contest comes as Ekurhuleni faces significant financial and infrastructure challenges.
Ekurhuleni faces financial and infrastructure challenges, receiving a qualified audit opinion for 2024 and 2025 and warnings about its ability to continue operating.
The metro recorded a R656.52 million deficit, spent just 4.2% of its property, plant and equipment value on maintenance, and suffered electricity losses of R3.07 billion (15.5%) and water losses of R1.27 billion (25.4%).
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