MDANTSANE, Eastern Cape — ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed strong confidence that his party will secure an outright majority in the Eastern Cape in the upcoming November 4 elections. Speaking to voters in Mdantsane, Ramaphosa addressed pressing service delivery challenges while projecting a unified front despite ongoing internal party disputes.
Residents in the region continue to grapple with significant service delivery failures, including persistent water and electricity outages, as well as neglected infrastructure. These ongoing issues form the critical backdrop to the ruling party’s election campaign as it seeks a strong mandate from voters.
The campaign is unfolding against a backdrop of internal divisions that have left the party’s provincial elective conference stalled by legal challenges and disputes. However, Ramaphosa downplayed the delays, insisting the party remains focused on its electoral goals.
“The hiccups that we had in holding the provincial conference was just a small event,” Ramaphosa stated. “Our regions in this province are fully united and they’re now well steeped in the campaign. So that if you like was just a slight hiccup and it’s a hiccup that’s going to be resolved after the elections.”
He emphasized that the province remains united behind the leadership of Provincial Chairperson Oscar Mabuyane, working collaboratively with the Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) and supported by National Executive Committee (NEC) deployees.
A notable feature of the current campaign is the ANC’s decision not to publicly name its mayoral candidates for Buffalo City, a municipality the party currently governs without a coalition. Addressing concerns that this omission signals disunity, Ramaphosa clarified that it aligns with the party’s historical practices.
“Our not announcing the mayoral candidate has really nothing to do with a sense of disunity,” Ramaphosa explained. “If you look at our record in the past, we’ve never really announced mayoral candidates until right after the elections. So that has been the practice… the tradition that has evolved.”
Ramaphosa highlighted a modernized approach to candidate selection, noting that the party is prioritizing community input over top-down appointments.
“What we have done as we advance and modernize our systems is to get our candidates to be chosen and elected by the community and not imposed by the ANC,” he said. He added that the party has taken the time to interview potential mayoral candidates, who will be officially announced only after the elections conclude.
As the November 4 elections approach, the ANC’s ability to translate its campaign promises into tangible service delivery improvements will remain a key test for voters in the Eastern Cape.
