African National Congress (ANC) president Cyril Ramaphosa has urged voters to reject smaller political parties and strengthen the ANC ahead of the 4 November 2026 local government elections, describing rival parties as “Mickey Mouse” parties.
Ramaphosa made the remarks during an election campaign in Daveyton, Ekurhuleni, on Tuesday, where he led a door-to-door campaign and engaged residents about challenges facing their community.
The president said residents had raised concerns about unemployment, water shortages, potholes and poor service delivery, arguing that the ANC needed stronger electoral support to address these issues.
He also called on residents to vote for the party in large numbers.
“We need to show those small Mickey Mouse parties that Daveyton is the home of the ANC,” Ramaphosa said.
Ramaphosa blames coalition government for Ekurhuleni’s challenges
Ramaphosa criticised coalition politics, arguing that the arrangements had made it difficult for municipalities to deliver services effectively.
Ekurhuleni lost its ANC outright majority in the 2021 local government elections, when the party’s support fell from 49% in 2016 to 38.19%.
The result opened the door for opposition parties to participate in the metro’s administration, with the city experiencing several changes in political leadership in the years that followed.
Ramaphosa argued that the shift away from an ANC majority had contributed to the municipality’s problems.
He urged voters to give the ANC a majority in the upcoming elections, saying the party needed sufficient support to govern without relying on coalition partners.
However, Ekurhuleni’s service delivery challenges remain a central issue in the election campaign, with residents continuing to raise concerns about water supply, infrastructure, sanitation and municipal management.
ANC faces growing competition
The ANC is campaigning amid a changing political landscape, with opposition parties competing for support in municipalities across the country.
The party lost its national parliamentary majority in the 2024 general elections after securing approximately 40% of the national vote, leading to the formation of the Government of National Unity.
In Ekurhuleni, the ANC faces competition from the Democratic Alliance, the Economic Freedom Fighters, the uMkhonto weSizwe Party and other political organisations.
Political analyst Theo Neethling told IOL that the country’s political landscape was becoming increasingly fragmented, with coalition governments likely to remain an important feature of municipal politics.
Ramaphosa’s latest remarks reflect the ANC’s campaign message that voters should give the party a stronger mandate to govern, while his criticism of smaller parties places coalition politics at the centre of the contest for control of Ekurhuleni.
