South Africa's ANC Launches Manifesto Ahead Of November Local Elections

On Monday evening, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa unveiled his ANC party’s manifesto, promising to improve the quality of leadership in local government.

"We have not always put the best people in positions of responsibility in government," the president conceded. 

He admitted that the ANC had been slow to act when public representatives abused their positions or failed to act on the mandate the people had given them. 

In its new manifesto, the party said it would subject mayors and senior managers to lifestyle audits to "limit the scope for corruption". 

"...Requiring mayors and councillors to sign performance agreements, with agreed targets, against which they will be measured."

The ANC promised it would strengthen monitoring capacity in provincial and national governments to intervene early in municipalities when problems occurred.

Ramaphosa said: "People want councillors they can have confidence in, and trust."

The party pledged to rigorously examine all mayoral candidates to ensure only the best candidates were selected. Ramaphosa had previously told the ANC's councillor candidates that mayors would not be appointed based on popularity. 

The party promised to "change the composition and mandates of ward committees to overcome the problems they have experienced and enable residents to play their part as active citizens to build communities and hold councillors and staff accountable".

The ANC would also improve the quality of the induction of councillors and officials of municipalities to respect legislated boundaries.

Local South African elections are scheduled to take place on the 1st of November.