BOKSBURG, Gauteng — The African National Congress (ANC) has officially moved into a “battle footing” for local governance, announcing the establishment of a dedicated service delivery “war room” to confront the collapsing infrastructure and administrative failures in municipalities across South Africa.
The announcement was made by ANC Deputy President Paul Mashatile on Sunday, January 25, 2026, during the party’s high-stakes NEC Lekgotla held in Boksburg. The move signals a desperate attempt by the liberation movement to regain public trust ahead of the 2026 Local Government Elections.
Mbalula to Command the “Frontline”
In a move that consolidates power within the party’s administrative hub, the war room will be spearheaded by Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula.
- Direct Monitoring: The unit will be tasked with the granular monitoring of ANC public representatives across provinces, districts, and metros.
- Rapid Intervention: Unlike traditional bureaucratic oversight, the war room is designed to identify “red flags” in real-time specifically targeting water shortages, sewage spills, and pothole backlogs and deploy technical task teams to intervene immediately.
- Accountability: Mbalula has been given the mandate to “remove and replace” poor-performing mayors and councillors who fail to meet the war room’s monthly performance benchmarks.
Priority: Water and Rural Infrastructure
Mashatile highlighted that the “year of decisive action” would focus heavily on the country’s deepening water crisis.
“It is not that we do not have water in our dams, but it is the issue of reticulation,” Mashatile stated, acknowledging that aging pipes and poor maintenance are the primary drivers of dry taps in many provinces.
The war room will also prioritize rural road infrastructure, which Mashatile admitted was in a “dire state” following his recent oversight visits to the North West and Eastern Cape.
Cadre Deployment 2.0: “Fit for Purpose”
President Cyril Ramaphosa reinforced the message, urging the party to ensure that deployees at the local level are “fit for purpose.” The new strategy includes:
- Mandatory Training: All ANC councillors will undergo rigorous re-skilling programs focused on municipal finance and project management.
- Private Sector “Concessions”: In a notable policy shift, the ANC is encouraging municipalities to embrace partnership deals with the private sector to bridge the funding and technical skills gap in infrastructure projects.
- The FNB Stadium “Roll Call”: This war room launch follows a massive performance “roll call” where thousands of councillors were audited on their service delivery records since 2021.
The 2026 Litmus Test
Political analysts suggest that the “war room” terminology is no coincidence. With the ANC’s support dipping below 50% nationally in 2024, the party recognizes that local government is the “weakest link” that could lead to further losses in the 2026 municipal polls.
By framing service delivery as a “war,” the ANC is attempting to show a frustrated electorate that it is finally treating the municipal crisis as the national emergency it has become.
