Ramaphosa says ANC is confident of winning eThekwini
Ongoing: Elections Hot
Campaigning in Magabheni, south of Durban, ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa said the party notes opinion polls but focuses on its work. He also defended the army deployment in KwaZulu-Natal and promised action on eThekwini's water crisis.
Ramaphosa defended the deployment of more than 500 soldiers in KwaZulu-Natal. It began on October 9 and is expected to run until the end of November, at a cost of more than R34 million. He said the deployment responds to requests from residents and provincial authorities. In his words: "It's not the army coming here to replace the police – they are here as a supportive element to the work being done by the police."
On a door-to-door campaign, Ramaphosa said plans are underway to address the water crisis in eThekwini. He said over 44% of households have water outages of two days or more. He said water trucks are a temporary measure.
Ramaphosa also said work is underway to reduce the cost of electricity for Magabheni residents. He said he expects the ANC to regain the majority on the metro council. The local government elections are on November 4.
Key facts
- Who
- Cyril Ramaphosa (ANC President); African National Congress (Political party; campaigning in the local government elections)
- What
- While campaigning door-to-door ahead of the local government elections, Ramaphosa said plans are underway to address eThekwini's water crisis, which he said affects over 44% of households with outages of two days or more. He also said work is underway to reduce electricity costs for Magabheni residents.
- When
- 28 October 2026
- Where
- eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, Magabheni
- Status
- Reported