The ANC in the greater Johannesburg region has raised concerns about its electoral performance, warning that the party will lose further ground in the city if it does not develop serious election machinery.
In an organisational report, former regional secretary and current regional coordinator Sasabona Manganye detailed how the party has suffered a bruising at the polls in the region at the hands of opposition parties.
In the report, which the Sunday Times has seen, Manganye reveals both the party’s electoral data and political observations have painted a bleak picture, which he described as “concerning”.
“Since 2021, voter turnout has declined, particularly in traditional ANC strongholds such as Soweto and the Deep South, while opposition parties notably the DA, EFF, PA and MK Party have consolidated their influence in key urban and suburban areas.
“The 2024 national and provincial elections demonstrated that the ANC’s decline is structural, not episodic. Without serious intervention, Johannesburg risks becoming the epicentre of further electoral erosion by 2026.”
Reflecting on the past regional executive committee’s (REC) term, he described the decline as not just a temporary setback, but rather a “deep, structural and multidimensional crisis that reflects the cumulative effects of political, organisational and moral decay over several election cycles”.
Manganye told delegates that the erosion of trust between the movement and people has been years in the making, with its impact now visible in every corner of the country.
“The first and most visible cause of decline is the breakdown of service delivery. Chronic electricity interruptions, prolonged water shortages, housing delays and irregular waste collection have devastated the public’s confidence in the ANC’s ability to govern.
“Communities have grown impatient with unfulfilled promises, and the image of the ANC has shifted from being a movement of service to being perceived as part of the problem. Many residents, particularly in working-class areas such as Soweto, the Inner City and the Deep South, now associate service collapse directly with ANC-led structures, creating an emotional disconnect that cannot be repaired by slogans alone.”
Governance instability was flagged as another factor behind the decline, with Manganye pointing fingers at fragile coalitions for resulting in paralysed service delivery.
“Decision-making has been inconsistent, leadership has been unstable and accountability has been blurred. While the ANC has often participated in coalitions in good faith, residents hold it responsible for municipal dysfunction. This has created a perception that the ANC is more focused on political manoeuvring than on governing, eroding faith in its capacity to restore order and stability.”
Corruption scandals, misuse of public resources and perceptions of personal enrichment have destroyed the moral capital that once distinguished the ANC as a people’s movement. Ordinary citizens now question the integrity of leaders and deployees; they see government positions as sources of personal benefit rather than service. This moral drift has become one of the most profound causes of voter disillusionment, turning the struggle-era loyalty of many into silent protest at the ballot box.
— Sasabona Manganye, ANC regional coordinator
Manganye cited factionalism and internal divisions for further eroding the regional structure and weakening the organisation.
“In numerous wards, candidate-selection processes became battlegrounds of competing interests rather than instruments of democracy. Imposed candidates alienated communities, while disillusioned members either abstained or defected to smaller parties.
“This disunity on the ground has been one of the most damaging internal dynamics, creating a situation where the ANC contests elections against itself long before facing external opponents.”
Manganye gave a tongue-lashing to the delegates, calling on the party to take seriously its moral credibility and conviction.
“Corruption scandals, misuse of public resources and perceptions of personal enrichment have destroyed the moral capital that once distinguished the ANC as a people’s movement. Ordinary citizens now question the integrity of leaders and deployees; they see government positions as sources of personal benefit rather than service.
“This moral drift has become one of the most profound causes of voter disillusionment, turning the struggle-era loyalty of many into silent protest at the ballot box.”
Despite the weathering of all these setbacks, the regional coordinator told the plenary’s closed session that the current conference has a mandate to turn the tide.
“The task here is not only to celebrate the work done since 2022 (when the REC was elected) but to honestly confront the crisis we face. The data, campaigns and experiences recorded in this report must form the foundation for the renewal and professionalisation of our regional election machinery.
“Underlying all discussions was the recognition that the ANC must regain people’s trust and assume its place as a parliament of the people if it is to reclaim political authority and advance the national democratic revolution in Johannesburg,” he said.
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