ANC to launch local government election manifesto near Alexandra amid past housing promise criticism
The ANC is preparing to launch its manifesto for the upcoming local government elections at River Park, a settlement adjacent to Alexandra in northern Johannesburg. This comes as the party faces scrutiny over unfulfilled promises from its 2019 campaign, particularly regarding the construction of one million houses. Party president Cyril Ramaphosa apologized in 2024 for creating the impression that a million houses would be built specifically for Alexandra, clarifying that the target was for the entire country and was not met. ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula stated that the party will address the "distortion" surrounding the one million houses at the manifesto launch. Mbalula also attributed much of the development around Alexandra, including the creation of River Park, to the ANC. He acknowledged the party's loss of credibility in communities and blamed the deterioration of Johannesburg on coalition governments that began in 2016, asserting that the city was more stable under sole ANC governance. The ANC aims for an outright victory in the local government elections to govern without coalition partners.