PRETORIA, Gauteng — ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed recent internal polls suggesting the Democratic Alliance (DA) is leading in several key metropolitan municipalities, asserting that the ruling party remains entirely unfazed ahead of next week’s crucial 2026 local elections.
Speaking while campaigning in Mamelodi, Tshwane—a city where the ANC last secured an outright majority in 2016—Ramaphosa addressed an internal DA survey that reportedly places the opposition ahead of the ANC in six major metros: Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, Mangaung, Nelson Mandela Bay, and Cape Town.
“The studies are just studies. We know what’s happening on the ground,” Ramaphosa stated, brushing off the polling data. He noted that the ANC’s campaign is reaching a very high peak and that citizens are responding positively. Highlighting his recent campaign stops, he mentioned being in Johannesburg the previous day and in Tshwane on Tuesday. “We are confident of an outright victory, and of course, many other parties will always dream of victory, but victory belongs to the ANC,” he added.
Echoing the President’s confidence, ANC Gauteng convener Panyaza Lesufi said he is equally unbothered by the polls, choosing instead to focus on the DA’s track record in government. Lesufi pointed out that the opposition’s radio advertisements heavily focus on the Western Cape.
“If you check the Democratic Alliance messages on radio all over, it’s a reference to Cape Town. They ran Tshwane. They ran Ekhuruleni, Johannesburg. Why are they not making a difference?” Lesufi questioned. He argued that the current election cycle has laid bare the opposition’s shortcomings, stating, “Actually, these elections have exposed their inexperience. It has exposed their inability to run a big metro like Johannesburg.”
Despite the ruling party’s confidence, some potential voters on the ground remain skeptical. One local resident expressed frustration, stating they do not plan to cast a ballot this year. “The president was here last time. He promised services. He came back today. He didn’t even address the people. So why must we vote?” the resident asked. The voter also highlighted unfulfilled housing demands, insisting on title deeds according to a business plan before structures were erected, and noting a prior agreement to rent for less than seven years which has since elapsed.
Addressing the pressing water crisis in Tshwane, specifically in Bronkhorstspruit, Ramaphosa condemned the local municipality’s failure to maintain infrastructure. “What has happened in Bronkhorstspruit is a complete dereliction of the work and the duties that the municipality of Tshwane was supposed to be executing,” he said. He warned that such administrative failures are unacceptable and ultimately lead to the spread of diseases among the public. To combat the crisis, he announced that the national water crisis committee is now taking charge, emphasizing that “water is a national right for all South Africans.”
Following his engagements in Gauteng, Ramaphosa’s remaining campaign trail will take him to KwaZulu-Natal, back to Tshwane, and then to Limpopo. The campaign will culminate with a major ANC rally in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, on Sunday.
