“We lost power a decade ago” – Mbalula points fingers at the DA for Johannesburg’s downfall

African National Congress Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula has defended his party against growing criticism over service delivery failures in Johannesburg, arguing that the ANC has not governed the city alone for nearly a decade.

Speaking during a media briefing, Mbalula said South Africans must stop associating Johannesburg’s municipal challenges with the ANC, insisting that coalition politics have made governance difficult since 2016. He said the ANC lost power a decade ago in Johannesburg and no longer governs alone, yet people still believe the city’s problems are caused by the ANC.Mbalula accused the Democratic Alliance of running the city “into the ground,” saying the party’s leadership period left lasting damage. “The very same loud DA are the ones that ran this city down,” he said, pointing to persistent infrastructure collapse, waste collection issues, and water shortages as evidence of the city’s broader mismanagement.

The Johannesburg Metro has been plagued by frequent leadership changes, with multiple mayors from different parties taking office since the 2016 local government elections. Political analysts note that this instability has crippled service delivery and hindered long-term planning.

Mbalula’s comments come amid growing public frustration over deteriorating municipal services, particularly in townships and inner-city areas. However, opposition parties argue that the ANC cannot distance itself from accountability, given its continued influence in national governance and coalition arrangements.

As Johannesburg’s residents continue to face worsening infrastructure and poor service delivery, the political blame game between the ANC and DA shows no signs of slowing down.

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