Ramaphosa faces opposition in NCOP over ANC governance failures

President Cyril Ramaphosa faced heavy criticism from opposition parties about the failures of the ANC when he appeared before the National Council of Provinces for his annual address on Thursday.

The remarks included portrayals of the general decline in areas where the ANC has governed and how the party was rejected by the majority of South Africans.

Several NCOP members from parties such as the DA and the MK Party tore into Ramaphosa during the debate that focused on the growing poverty levels in the country. ANC NCOP members defended the gains the party has made over the years to move millions out of severe poverty and create a cushion in the form of social welfare, jobs, eradicating load-shedding and higher education funding.

MK Party chief whip in the NCOP Mmabatho Mokoena said despite the grim reality faced by millions of South Africans, Ramaphosa’s administration insists on saying there is progress. 

Some of the examples she gave to support her argument included how GDP growth was well below the sub-Saharan average and the relentless rise of food and energy prices.

“South Africans endured 207 days of load-shedding in 2023 alone, costing thousands of jobs and devastating businesses. Transnet, on the other hand, which is vital for our economy, has become a bottleneck with rail volumes plummeting by 21% in 2023,” said Mokoena.

“So even the most basic infrastructure has been left to crumble. Roads are riddled with potholes, the failing water system, inadequate healthcare facilities are daily reminders of government’s neglect.”

Mokoena also tore into the government of national unity (GNU), saying South Africans did not vote for it and have not endorsed it and characterised it as a coalition of convenience designed to shield Ramaphosa’s administration’s incompetence.

“Truth of the matter is this arrangement was just a desperate ploy by the ANC to cling to power after suffering a humiliating loss at the election polls,” said Mokoena.

“The people handed you a break up letter but instead of bowing out with dignity you chose to hang on like an unwelcome guest scavenging the leftovers of power. The ANC is in the ICU and the prognosis is grim.”

The premiers especially of the Eastern Cape, Mpumalanga and Limpopo defended the ANC government's intervention in the various provinces, speaking glowingly about the investments made and pledged, roads being built and infrastructure being revitalised.

Ramaphosa said he found the engagement with the members of the NCOP was about solutions needed to tackle poverty.

“The debate has been about solutions. It has been about how we can take meaningful action to address the challenge of poverty and inequality that we face,” said Ramaphosa.

“So it has largely been about the way forward, how do we move forward. I’ve been heartened to have heard how the speakers from various provinces either as premiers or MECs have been able to articulate very positively and hopefully about how we can craft the future and the various steps that our provinces are taking to help get us out of this position that we are in.”

Ramaphosa said he has met the provincial executives of both Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal provinces and plans on meeting that of Mpumalanga in the coming weeks as the national government and provinces move to better align their programmes.

“These are the beginnings of a series of engagements with provincial governments to ensure closer alignment between the priorities and programmes of these two spheres of government,” said Ramaphosa.

“And in highlighting some of the very positive interventions that our provinces are embarking on, we want to deepen and spread them and make sure that national government gives maximum support to our provinces as well as to our local government so that the inter-governmental approach that we have to strengthening government and strengthening the capacity of the state becomes a reality.”

“Through these engagements we also have an opportunity that provinces are using to raise areas where the support of national government is needed to unlock progress on key developmental issues.”

He said municipalities in the local government sphere remain critical in lifting millions of South Africans from abject poverty.

“Yes, many municipalities are falling short in this respect threatening to further impoverish poor communities. It is therefore essential that all spheres of government and all public bodies work together,” said Ramaphosa.

“We need to enhance governance at local government and the NCOP plays a central role in this work. Among other things, the NCOP should make sure that national and provincial government provide the necessary support to local government and it intervenes where appropriate and in line with the constitutional obligation that you have.”

He said his GNU is paying special attention to local government.

He said the presidential working group established in the eThekwini municipality was already yielding results in dealing with problems such as the ageing infrastructure, water shortages, dwindling tourism numbers and low business confidence and that it was well on its way to returning Durban as the tourism capital of the country.

Ramaphosa said they are looking at using this as a benchmark to establish the presidential working groups in other provinces.

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