CAPE TOWN, Western Cape — As South Africa counts down to the highly anticipated 2026 local government elections, the Democratic Alliance (DA) is leaning heavily on its municipal governance record to secure voter support. According to Jonathan Moakes, political director at the SABI Strategy Group and former DA CEO, the party is entering the November 4 polls with strong confidence, pointing to clean audits and effective service delivery across the 31 municipalities it currently controls.
The opposition party’s confidence comes against a backdrop of national concern over local governance. President Cyril Ramaphosa recently warned at the National Local Economic Development Summit that widespread municipal collapse is severely choking South Africa’s economic growth. Highlighting the national infrastructure deficit, Ramaphosa noted that many municipalities spend less than 1% of their budgets on maintenance, falling drastically short of the required 8%.
However, Moakes points out that the DA intends to use the President’s own remarks as a central campaigning tool. Specifically, the party is highlighting Ramaphosa’s reported comments at a recent ANC meeting, where he acknowledged the need for ANC-run municipalities to replicate the governance successes achieved by the DA.
When evaluating municipal performance, the DA relies heavily on the Auditor-General’s reports to contrast its governance with municipalities under the control of the African National Congress (ANC). Critics frequently argue that the DA’s success, particularly in major metros like the City of Cape Town, is largely cushioned by affluent, rate-paying tax bases, leaving questions regarding equity and spatial justice unresolved.
Moakes pushes back on this “two-tier” narrative, noting that the Auditor-General evaluates how effectively a municipality manages its existing funds and operations, rather than just the size of its budget. Furthermore, he emphasizes that the DA’s 31 municipalities, which stretch from the Western Cape to KwaZulu-Natal, are not exclusively affluent areas and are run in a more transparent manner than those governed by rival parties.
Addressing systemic service delivery challenges in historically black townships, Moakes acknowledged recent scrutiny from the Public Protector and the landmark Tafelberg judgment regarding spatial inequalities. While he admitted that addressing the economic legacies of apartheid remains a massive failure across all three tiers of government, he argued that spatial injustice is a national crisis, not one unique to the Western Cape. He cited the stark economic contrasts seen just minutes apart between Sandton and Alexandra as proof that inequality spans municipalities of all sizes. He added that the City of Cape Town is actively implementing remedial actions for service delivery complaints dating back to 2021 and 2022.
For Moakes, the ultimate differentiator between a thriving and failing municipality boils down to basic service delivery and economic enablement. He argues that competent, “business-style” administration ensures water flows from taps, refuse is collected, potholes are filled, and traffic lights function. Furthermore, well-run municipalities manage their budgets effectively—maintaining zero debt with entities like Eskom and local water boards—while creating the stable conditions necessary for businesses to operate and combat South Africa’s severe unemployment crisis.
The DA has historically faced criticism for being perceived as anti-poor or unrepresentative of black South Africans—a perception Moakes describes as the party’s “biggest albatross.” To combat this ahead of the 2026 local government elections, he advises the party to strip away national political noise and focus strictly on localized service delivery, noting that local elections are inherently different from general national elections.
Regarding party manifestos, Moakes suggests that because few voters read lengthy policy documents, manifestos should be condensed into simple, one-page communications. These documents must clearly outline a practical vision and align directly with the lived experiences of voters regarding water, electricity, and corruption.
With recent voter registration figures indicating growing public apathy and a deep distrust of politicians, Moakes urges citizens to look past political rhetoric. He advises voters to prioritize a candidate’s track record, administrative competence, credibility, and their willingness to maintain transparent, ongoing communication with residents in both good and bad times.
