JOHANNESBURG, Gauteng — RISE Mzansi is preparing to contest its first-ever 2026 local government elections, scheduled for 4 November 2026, through a strategic alliance with the GOOD party. Vuyiswa Ramokgopa, the National Chairperson of RISE Mzansi, outlined the party’s campaign strategy, mayoral candidates, and governance policies in a recent interview, emphasizing a “people-to-people” approach to local governance and a commitment to ethical leadership.
Formed in 2023 under the leadership of Songezo Zibi, RISE Mzansi previously secured two national parliamentary seats in the 2024 general elections. Now, the party is shifting its focus to the complexities of local government, partnering with the GOOD party to pool resources and optimize campaign structures.
A Strategic Electoral Alliance
Despite the partnership, Ramokgopa clarified that RISE Mzansi and the GOOD party will remain separate entities on the ballot. The alliance is designed to field candidates strategically based on existing municipal footprints. Together, the parties will contest in 32 municipalities across five provinces. RISE Mzansi is directly leading campaigns in nine key municipalities, including five metros, while fielding over 300 candidates nationally.
The alliance also dictates mayoral support to avoid fragmenting the opposition vote. The parties have endorsed Brett Herron of the GOOD party for Mayor of Cape Town, Lukhona Mnguni of RISE Mzansi for Johannesburg, and Sarah Mabotsa of RISE Mzansi for Tshwane.
Geographically, the GOOD party will lead the charge in the Western Cape, including municipalities like Stellenbosch, as well as in Nelson Mandela Bay. Conversely, RISE Mzansi will lead in areas like Buffalo City in the Eastern Cape.
Ramokgopa noted that this streamlined alliance evolved from the broader “Unite for Change” coalition, which initially included the Bosa party. However, the requirement for full organizational integration and a complete merger proved too complex to execute within the election timeline, leading the parties to focus on a joint electoral contest instead.
Policy Priorities and Infrastructure Funding
The RISE Mzansi campaign is built on five core municipal priorities: leadership, water and sanitation, roads, financial stability, and safer communities. Ramokgopa stressed that these issues are deeply interrelated, noting that poor infrastructure directly fuels criminality and economic stagnation.
To address deteriorating infrastructure, particularly in Johannesburg, mayoral candidate Lukhona Mnguni is proposing the establishment of a dedicated infrastructure fund. This initiative aims to leverage deep private capital and institutional funds to co-invest in municipal development, acknowledging that the national fiscus and municipal budgets alone cannot clear the massive infrastructure backlog.
However, Ramokgopa drew a firm line against the privatization of core municipal functions. “RISE Mzansi believes that the state must do its job,” she stated, emphasizing that basic services like water delivery, electricity, and refuse removal cannot be outsourced. Instead, the party plans to capacitate municipalities with ethical public officials.
Digitization and Anti-Corruption Measures
A major pillar of the party’s platform is procurement reform. Ramokgopa highlighted the destructive impact of corruption, referencing “mafias” that benefit from the dysfunction in water delivery and road maintenance. To combat this, RISE Mzansi is prioritizing the digitization of the state and public procurement processes to eliminate paper-based tender systems and remove middlemen.
Echoing national leader Songezo Zibi’s recent call for an overhaul of public sector ethics, Ramokgopa confirmed that the party supports mandatory lifestyle audits. She argued that these audits should be required not just for public representatives, Mayors, and MMCs, but for everyone operating within the supply chain management sector, from buyers to Directors-General.
Coalition Politics and Funding Clarifications
Looking ahead to the post-election landscape, Ramokgopa acknowledged that coalition governments are the “new normal” in South African politics. While RISE Mzansi aims to govern key metros like Johannesburg, the party remains open to anchoring stable coalitions if necessary. However, she set a strict boundary: the party will not enter into coalitions with entities involved in criminality or blatant corruption.
During the interview, Ramokgopa also addressed recent scrutiny regarding a R30 million party funding disclosure. She clarified that there was no controversy, explaining that the amount was initially taken as a permissible loan. When the loan could not be repaid, standard accounting administration and the Political Party Funding Act required it to be converted and recorded as a donation. She emphasized that the party proactively declared this to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), reflecting their commitment to hyper-transparency in a political landscape where many parties fail to disclose their funding.
As the 2026 local government elections approach, RISE Mzansi’s alliance with the GOOD party marks a significant consolidation of opposition forces, aiming to deliver competent, ethical, and dynamic leadership to South Africa’s municipalities.
