Tshwane Proves the ANC’s Local Government Model Still Works

The turnaround, on the record

The argument begins with the numbers, because the numbers are the point. When the ANC-led coalition took responsibility for the City of Tshwane, it inherited a metro that had drifted from its obligations to the most vulnerable while its Eskom account climbed to R6.66 billion. The administrations that came before campaigned as arsenals of good and clean governance. What they left behind was a city pushed close to collapse, with austerity steering resources towards affluent suburbs and away from the working-class communities that carry the city.

In the short space of the turnaround that followed, the city has reduced those Eskom-related arrears to about R4.73 billion as at the end of March 2026, settled a R4.7 billion VAT liability tied to the cancelled PEU smart meter contract, extended R2.42 billion in debt relief to indigent households and written off R1.83 billion across more than 31 500 inactive accounts.

That is irrefutable evidence of governing capacity, and it is the case the ANC carries into the 2026 local government elections: the movement remains the political formation with the demonstrated capacity to build stable, accountable, developmental and inclusive local government, because that is what protects households, restores confidence and makes cities work.

The ANC’s governing model

The ANC’s position on local government was tabled by President Cyril Ramaphosa at the Masakhe manifesto launch on 23 August, as this publication reported from the launch: municipalities must be engines of development, not sites for looting. The President was direct about those who, in his warning, infiltrate the movement, wear its colours and sing the loudest while using the name of the ANC to undermine what it stands for.

The manifesto commits the movement to provide reliable water and electricity, manage finances responsibly, protect the poor and create the conditions for investment, enterprise growth and local jobs. It is a continuation of the National Democratic Revolution at municipal level, and it is the standard against which the ANC asks to be judged.

The political point is simple: when ANC principles are applied with discipline, local government can deliver. The results are visible in the taps, the books and the lives of residents.

Water is flowing, not collapsing

Mayor Nasiphi Moya has been clear that Tshwane is not confronting a simple water crisis but the consequences of ageing infrastructure, leaks and inefficiencies that require constant intervention. That distinction matters, because it describes a city under strain but functioning, and it shows where the work has gone.

The metro’s stabilisation effort concentrates on reservoirs, pump stations, pressure management, metering, leak repair and the handling of illegal connections. The result is a daily supply of between 800 million and 900 million litres of water, a scale that keeps households, businesses and public services going while the city repairs the system behind the scenes.

For the ANC, that matters politically. A city that keeps water moving while it fixes its systems shows the difference between administration and collapse, and it shows that local government can be made to work when it is treated as a developmental responsibility.

Debt relief with a revolutionary purpose

The financial side of the story is just as important. In line with the ANC’s Batho Pele approach to government, Tshwane’s debt-relief programme has written off billions of rand for qualifying households, businesses and vulnerable customers, including indigent and child-headed households that may qualify for full relief.

The city has also written off R1.83 billion across more than 31 500 inactive accounts as part of a wider recovery effort. This is what ANC governance should look like in practice: firm on financial discipline, compassionate towards households that cannot carry historic debt forever. The city is not merely punishing non-payment. It is resetting accounts, restoring dignity and helping residents re-enter the system.

That balance is a political strength, not a weakness. It shows that ANC local government can match revenue recovery with social responsibility.

From pressure to recovery

The scale of the turnaround is visible in the numbers. Tshwane reduced Eskom-related arrears from R6.66 billion to about R4.73 billion by the end of March 2026, and settled the R4.7 billion VAT liability linked to the PEU smart meter matter. These are not cosmetic gains. They are the kind of financial moves that make a metro more credible and more governable.

At the same time, the city has introduced and expanded debt-relief measures that allow qualifying residents and businesses to regularise their accounts. The recovery is not being built on enforcement alone. It is being built on structured relief and a pathway back to compliance, a balance that is politically valuable because it shows a municipality acting with both discipline and humanity.

The household test

The real test of any local government story is what it means in a household. For residents, the question is not whether a city can give a good presentation. The question is whether water comes out of the tap, whether debts are manageable, whether municipal systems are stable and whether the city is capable of doing the basics well. Tshwane’s public figures describe a municipality working hard to answer those questions positively.

That does not mean the work is finished. It means progress is real. The ANC does not claim perfection: on 23 August the movement put dated commitments to the voters, commitments residents can hold it to, which is what the manifesto’s accountability machinery is for. The task now is to show progress that people can feel, and Tshwane allows the party to do exactly that.

Investment needs the same stability

The same governance conditions that help residents also help investment. The ANC has argued nationally that municipalities should become investment-ready by supporting enterprise growth, improving infrastructure and creating a stable environment for business. A city that keeps water flowing, manages debt and protects its finances sends a signal to investors: this is a place where the rules are applied and the system works. It is the same discipline at the centre of the manifesto’s plan to eliminate unfunded budgets.

That is why Tshwane belongs in the movement’s broader story about development. Good local government does not only serve voters. It creates confidence, and confidence attracts activity. The party’s case is that stable, rules-based, transformation-driven governance is not an obstacle to growth; it is the condition for it. Tshwane is showing how that works.

Why Tshwane matters

Tshwane matters because it gives the ANC a working example of its local government model. The 2026 manifesto says municipalities must be capable, stable, ethical and accountable, while creating the conditions for investment, job creation and inclusive development, the same commitments weighed in this publication’s comparison of the 2021 and 2026 manifestos. Tshwane gives that language practical meaning: a city where water is still supplied at scale, debt is being reduced and relief is reaching the households that need it most.

That combination speaks to both sides of the movement’s local government mission:

• protect the vulnerable;
• create a city environment in which business and investment can function.

Tshwane is not just about municipal repair. It is about proving that ANC-led government can produce stability that benefits communities and the broader economy.

The series and the message

This is why Building Better Communities begins here. Tshwane is not the end of the story. It is the first proof point in a series that will show how ANC-led local government can turn pressure into progress across South Africa. Each chapter will examine a different municipality and a different service challenge, but the core argument will remain the same: the ANC governs best when it governs for stability, dignity and development.

The record and the resolve
“The taps are still running, the debt is coming down and households are getting relief. Recovery is not a promise in Tshwane; it is a record.” The People’s Register

The taps are still running. The debt is coming down. The households are getting relief. The city is proving that recovery is possible, and the ANC can point to Tshwane as evidence that its local government model still has the power to build better communities.

Sources and further reading

This report draws on the City of Tshwane’s public statements and reporting, the mayoral record and the ANC’s 2026 local government manifesto.

• Moya rejects water crisis label as Tshwane cuts debt, boosts reserves, Inside Metros, 16 April 2026
• Tshwane launches debt relief programme with up to 70% debt write-off for qualifying residents, Rekord, 8 July 2026
• City of Tshwane debt-relief programme benefits heavily indebted residents, City of Tshwane
• City of Tshwane Debt Relief Incentive Programme, City of Tshwane
• Relief for Tshwane: portion of R6 billion Eskom debt paid, The Citizen
• Council approves extension incentive debt relief scheme for struggling Tshwane households, Tshwane Talks
• Ramaphosa unveils ANC’s local government manifesto, IOL Cape Times, 24 August 2026
• ANC NEC Lekgotla affirms 2026 as a year of decisive action, ANC