Ramaphosa says Mangaung has improved as ANC eyes local elections

ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa says conditions in the Mangaung metro have improved and that his party is ready for the elections, according to IOL. He also insisted that internal disputes in the ANC have been sorted out.

Ramaphosa was in Phase 7, Bloemfontein, in Ward 51, where he told residents the area looked better than it did on his previous visit. He gave credit to leaders in the province and the municipality, saying they had acted on the concerns that residents raised.

He admitted that problems remain. Meetings with the community, he said, helped him see which difficulties are still there and where things have got better.

Party says candidate dispute is over

Ramaphosa also pushed back on the idea that tension inside the ANC is hurting its election campaign. He said the dispute over the registration of candidates had been settled.

“We are united as an organisation,” he said. He added that every organisation faces issues from time to time, and that the registration matter was now “behind us”.

In his view, the ability to fix internal problems is what lets the party go forward. When the ANC runs into trouble, he said, it finds solutions and then “we close ranks” before continuing.

What this means for residents

IOL noted that Ramaphosa is trying to reassure voters that the ANC can deal with failures in local government while also keeping its wider promises. It said the everyday experiences of residents are likely to colour how voters judge the party.

For people in Mangaung and other metros, the claims of progress are something to measure against what they see in their own streets and wards. The report did not say which services have improved, and it gave no figures or dates for the cleanup campaign.

• Ramaphosa says Mangaung has improved since his last visit, but admits challenges remain.
• He says the dispute over candidate registration has been resolved.
• The report is based on his own comments and does not include independent assessments or responses from residents.

The ANC’s service delivery record is likely to stay in focus as the 2026 local government elections approach, and the party will be judged on what residents actually experience.

This story is based on reporting by IOL.