President Cyril Ramaphosa and ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe have defended the ANC’s 32 years in government, insisting that its record of transformation and development outweighs its failures as residents continue to raise concerns about basic service delivery.
Ramaphosa made the remarks during a door-to-door engagement with residents in Ward 29, Diepkloof, on Sunday, where he sought to highlight the party’s achievements while urging South Africans to maintain their trust in the ANC.
“The transformation that we see in our country, whether people like it or not, whether they hate the ANC or not, has been brought about by the ANC,” he said.
Image: My ANC / X
He pointed to Soweto’s development as evidence of the party’s contribution, arguing that the township had changed significantly under ANC leadership.
“The people of Soweto, which was like a real backward and backyard city of Johannesburg, is what it is today in terms of development because of the ANC leadership and ANC delivery,” Ramaphosa said.
His defence comes amid persistent criticism of the governing party over corruption, alleged political patronage and deteriorating municipal services.
Critics have accused ANC-led administrations of allowing public funds to be wasted while failing to maintain essential infrastructure.
Water supply has become a particularly contentious issue, with residents in affected communities facing unreliable access to clean water.
Local government, which bears direct responsibility for many everyday services, has also faced mounting scrutiny over its finances and ability to deliver.
Ramaphosa acknowledged that the ANC’s record was not without shortcomings but argued that its achievements should be weighed against its failures.
“Of course, along the way, there’ll be missteps and there’ll also be areas where there’s been excellence,” he said.
“When you do the balance, when you look at the balance sheet, there’s more positive than negative.”
He urged residents to continue trusting the party, saying its experience and delivery demonstrated its capacity to keep making progress.
Mantashe rejects claims ANC has done nothing in 30 years
ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe also rejected claims that the party has done nothing since coming to power, pointing to social grants, free schooling, student funding and government housing as evidence of progress.
Speaking at a service at the United Reformed Church in Thabong, Free State on Sunday, Mantashe said critics often overlooked the benefits that millions of South Africans had received through government programmes over the past three decades.
Image: ANC / X
He questioned how people could dismiss the ANC’s record while living in RDP houses or having children who benefited from the Child Support Grant, no-fee schools and funding from the National Student Financial Aid Scheme (NSFAS).
Mantashe said the government’s education support was guided by the principle that children should be able to develop their abilities regardless of their family’s financial position.
“We are driven by one principle: every child has a right to be developed to their full potential, irrespective of the economic status of the home,” said Mantashe.
He argued that these programmes had expanded opportunities for children from disadvantaged households who might otherwise struggle to access education.
Changes to social grants
Mantashe also compared social assistance under apartheid with the system introduced under the ANC government.
He said some social assistance payments during apartheid were small and made quarterly, while the ANC had introduced a policy of equal social grants for all.
He argued that social assistance had become so familiar that some people no longer recognised its significance in supporting vulnerable households.
His comments come amid continued debate over the ANC’s record after more than 30 years in government, as the party campaigns ahead of the November 4 local government elections.
