LOCAL ELECTIONS 2026: Frustrated ANC supporters tell Mashatile, back from illness, to ‘act right’

Deputy President Paul Mashatile returned to the ANC’s election campaign trail in Vosloorus on Wednesday, 14 October, where residents who opened their doors warned that the party needed to do things the right way and put its house in order if it wanted to win their votes.

During a door-to-door campaign in Ward 45, Ekurhuleni ahead of the 4 November local government elections, residents complained about high electricity costs, disputed water bills and inconsistent refuse collection. Others spoke about the difficulty of supporting unemployed family members on pension grants, emphasising the economic pressures facing households.

Mashatile said the campaign was important for keeping ANC supporters engaged and encouraging them to continue backing the party at the polls.

The Deputy President resumed public campaigning after a period of medical recovery, with his return drawing attention amid the ANC’s efforts to reconnect with voters. Mashatile had not appeared publicly from mid-June 2026 until last week. His team has said only that he was recovering from “minor surgery”.

On Wednesday, he said the purpose of the campaign was to encourage volunteers to continue canvassing households during the final weeks before the elections.

“We all know we’re now left with 21 days. As national leaders, we want to encourage them to continue until the end,” Mashatile said.

He explained that ANC volunteers had identified households where residents needed assistance, including elderly people who could qualify for indigent support and people experiencing electricity or billing problems.

He said the party’s local leadership would continue to engage with residents after the national delegation had left.

“The ward councillors will continue to interface with the community,” he said.

While some residents said they had supported the ANC for decades and intended to continue doing so, their frustration with the party’s performance was evident.

‘I simply cannot afford these rates’

At the home of 81-year-old Simon Mtshweni, the discussion centred on municipal bills and a water problem he said had taken repeated complaints to resolve.

Mtshweni told Mashatile that he was struggling with outstanding municipal rates and an unusually high water bill. He said a water pipe connected to his neighbours had affected his billing, prompting him to complain to the municipality.

The problem remained unresolved, he said, until a pipe burst and municipal workers eventually came to repair it after several complaints.

Mashatile told Mtshweni and his wife that they could qualify for assistance through the municipality’s indigent programme, which provides relief to qualifying households struggling to pay for basic services.

Mtshweni said he and his family had supported the ANC since the days of former president Thabo Mbeki, and that they had not experienced the same problems in the past.

“We didn’t have issues, but now things have changed. There [are] just so many problems now,” he said.

At another home, pensioner Nozipho Nkambule complained about the cost of electricity, saying the money she spent on prepaid power did not last long enough.

“When one buys electricity for R200, it only lasts one week. I simply cannot afford these rates,” she said.

Another resident, Sinah Molatudi, told Mashatile directly: “We really love the ANC, but your actions and the things you guys are doing are really disappointing us.”

Her remarks captured the challenge facing the governing party as it tries to persuade voters to give it another mandate: longstanding loyalty does not necessarily translate into satisfaction with its performance.

Molatudi also raised concerns about water and sanitation, including refuse collection that she said was inconsistent.

“They do it when they want. It’s truly frustrating,” she said.

She appealed to the ANC to improve its performance so that residents could continue supporting the party.

“Can the ANC do things the right way so we can vote for you guys?” she asked.

Speaking to Daily Maverick on the sidelines of the campaign, Molatudi said corruption allegations and unemployment had deepened her frustration with the party.

“They are constantly caught in corruption issues and allegations. This is happening while our children remain unemployed. The ANC must just sort themselves out and start acting right. They must fix these problems and have their house in order,” she said.

She also criticised the Government of National Unity (GNU), saying it was not working for ordinary residents.

“This GNU is not working for us. We don’t need it. ANC must prove themselves to us so they can come back as the majority ruling party and do the right thing,” she said.

Molatudi said the ANC’s renewed presence in communities would not, on its own, persuade residents that the party had changed.

“We are not surprised when they are doing all this campaigning. The only reason they are even here today is because of these elections and that they didn’t perform well in the previous elections. Hence, they are back pleading for votes. They must just act right, and we will vote for them again,” she said.

Unemployment and the burden on pensioners

The concerns also extended beyond municipal services.

At the home of 79-year-old Nocwaka Benya, the pensioner told the visiting ANC delegation that she was supporting her unemployed youngest son, who had lost his job through retrenchment, as well as his two children.

Benya said she relied on her pension and child support grants to support the household while her son struggled to find work.

At another household, a grandmother caring for a young grandson who had lost his mother raised concerns about his access to suitable schooling.

The boy has a brain tumour contributing to eyesight difficulties, and she said she had struggled to find a school that could accommodate his needs.

‘Warm welcome’

Despite the concerns raised during the visits, Mashatile maintained that the ANC was being well received.

“Everywhere I’ve gone here, people are very positive in voting for the ANC,” he said.

He said the party was encouraging supporters to turn out on election day, arguing that some people who remained loyal to the ANC did not always vote.

“We don’t hide the truth,” Mashatile said.

“Where there are challenges, we tell them that, look, we will fix these challenges and to make sure that you continue to vote for the organisation that you love.”

He said some residents had told him they had voted for the ANC throughout their lives and intended to continue doing so.

But the complaints he encountered also highlighted the work the party still needs to do to persuade voters that it can address the problems affecting their daily lives.

The ANC’s electoral test

The ANC remains under pressure to consolidate its support in Gauteng’s metropolitan municipalities after losing its outright majority in several key urban councils in previous local government elections.

In Ekurhuleni, the ANC received 38.19% of the vote in 2021, ahead of the Democratic Alliance on 28.72% and the Economic Freedom Fighters on 13.57%. No party secured an outright majority of council seats, leaving the metro vulnerable to coalition negotiations and changes in political control.

The 2026 local government elections are scheduled for 4 November, with the campaign entering its final stretch.

Mashatile said the ANC had made progress over the past 30 years in areas including housing, social grants and access to schooling, but acknowledged that not everyone had benefited.

“So you’ll always have complaints because we have not reached everybody. People are many, but we are on a course, and we are going to make sure that we do reach as many of our people as possible to ensure that they get the right services,” he said.

He attributed some of the country’s economic difficulties to global factors, including the impact of international conflict on the cost of goods and services, while insisting that the ANC remained committed to expanding access to services.

The party’s campaign now has little time left to turn that promise into confidence at the ballot box. DM