Simon Majadibodu|Published
ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed polling suggesting that the Democratic Alliance (DA) is leading the party in several major metros, insisting that victory in the November 4 local government elections “belongs to the ANC.”
Ramaphosa took his campaign to Kingsley Hostel in Ward 38, Mamelodi, north-east of Pretoria, on Monday, where he conducted door-to-door engagements with voters alongside ANC Tshwane chairperson and deputy mayor Eugene Modise and other party officials.
The visit formed part of the ANC’s final campaign push ahead of next week’s elections, as political parties seek to mobilise support amid growing concerns over service delivery and the governing party’s electoral prospects.
Speaking to the media at the men-only hostel, Ramaphosa dismissed the polling data, saying the ANC was encouraged by its reception on the ground.
“The studies are just studies. We know what's happening on the ground. The ANC's campaign is reaching a very high peak and our people are responding very positively,” he said.
“I was in Johannesburg yesterday and today I'm in Tshwane and I'll come back again. And so we are confident of an outright victory. And of course many other parties will always dream of victory, but victory belongs to the ANC.”
DA polling points to gains in major metros
Ramaphosa’s remarks follow reports by News24 that the DA’s internal polling suggests it could emerge as the largest party in six of the eight metros.
The polling data has not been made public by the DA.
According to the reported figures, the DA leads the ANC in Johannesburg, with 39% support compared with the ANC’s 20%. In Mangaung, the DA is reportedly on 36%, narrowly ahead of the ANC at 34%.
In Tshwane, the DA is projected to receive 35% of the vote, compared with 27% for the ANC. In Ekurhuleni, the DA reportedly stands at 33%, while the ANC has fallen to 20%.
The polling also puts the DA at 44% in Nelson Mandela Bay, compared with the ANC’s 24%. In Cape Town, the DA is projected to retain its lead, although its support is expected to decline from 58% in the 2021 local government elections to 51%.
In eThekwini, the polling reportedly places the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) first on 37%, followed by the DA, while the ANC is on 14%. The MK Party’s support is reportedly down from the 47% it received in the 2024 general election in the metro.
The reported figures suggest that coalition negotiations could remain central to the formation of municipal governments in several metros. However, the projections are based on the DA’s internal polling and should not be treated as official election results.
Buffalo City was not included in the reported polling data.
Ramaphosa addresses electricity problems at hostel
During the visit, Ramaphosa also acknowledged electricity supply challenges at Kingsley Hostel, attributing the damage to transformers to illegal connections.
“And with regard to this place here, electricity is a problem because there have been a lot of illegal connections and that has exerted enormous pressure on the transformers,” he said.
He added that the transformers had blown up and that the provincial government and municipality planned to install additional units and relocate them to areas less accessible to people making illegal connections.
“The electricity problem has been articulated to me and I've been told that there are clear plans of addressing that,” Ramaphosa said.
ANC defends its record amid service delivery concerns
Ramaphosa’s campaign in Mamelodi follows his engagement with residents in Ward 29, Diepkloof, Soweto, on Sunday, where he defended the ANC’s 32 years in government and argued that its record of transformation and development outweighed its shortcomings.
“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.
He pointed to Soweto’s development under ANC leadership, describing the township’s transformation as evidence of the party’s contribution.
“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,” he said.
His comments came amid continued criticism of the governing party over corruption, alleged political patronage and deteriorating municipal services, including unreliable water supplies and poorly maintained infrastructure.
Ramaphosa acknowledged that the ANC had made mistakes but maintained that its achievements outweighed 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.”
IOL Politics