Ramaphosa Was Right

Statement by Marina van Zyl MP – DA Spokesperson on Cooperative Governance & Traditional Affairs:

The Auditor General of South Africa’s release of municipal audit outcomes, and her report to Parliament this week, has affirmed President Cyril Rampahosa’s declaration that the best-run Municipalities are DA-controlled.

From this week’s Auditor General report it emerged that many Western Cape municipalities again received the best results in the country, where they have DA Mayors and DA governments.

In Gauteng, DA-run Midvaal remains a shining star – because voters chose good financial management and good governance under the DA.

Meanwhile, this week’s Auditor General report confirms that the City of Johannesburg is on the verge of bankruptcy, while its ANC Mayor continues to push a R10.3-billion unaffordable wage agreement with a trade union. Johannesburg needs to elect Helen Zille as Mayor, to turn this around.

The Auditor General also confirmed that the City of Ekurhuleni is a corruption/crime scene, with an unstable coalition unable to pass a budget, until the DA secured major concessions and major budget reform, allowing us to help the budget pass – securing some of the lowest property rate increases in the country. This is a good example of why the people of Ekurhuleni need to elect Khathu Rasilingwane as Mayor, to turn the finances around.

The AG also confirmed that the City of Tshwane’s finances are in a mess under a failing ANC-coalition, with astronomical increases in water tanker expenditure, the City of Tshwane remains at the behest of the Rooiwaal Five and other criminals who remain infiltrated in governance networks. This is why the people of Tshwane need to elect Cilliers Brink as Mayor, to turn the City around.

Further, the AG highlighted Nelson Mandela Bay’s poor performance, as the municipality takes 189 days to pay its creditors, among other failures like fraudulent signatures.

This is compared to 45 days by the City of Cape Town. A Retief Odendaal-majority Government will stop the corruption, restore basic service delivery and create jobs by inviting the private sector in.

The only solution to the end of chaos, decline and rampant corruption in these ANC-governed municipalities across the Country is to register to vote and elect DA majority governments on 04 November 2026.

The DA makes this pitch with great sincerity, based on our track record and based on the Auditor General’s report today. Where the DA governs, money is spent on the people, not on politicians.

Financial prudence delivers reliable water, sanitation and electricity, working roads, clean and safe streets, as well as growing local economies – and the Auditor General proves that this only happens under the DA.