CAPE TOWN — President Cyril Ramaphosa appealed to residents of Mfuleni on Saturday to vote for the ANC in the 4 November local government elections, as the party presses to reclaim control of the City of Cape Town from the Democratic Alliance (DA).
Ramaphosa took part in a door-to-door campaign in Mfuleni during a two-day visit to the Western Cape. According to the original reporting by Siman Nare, the ANC is seeking to improve on its 2021 result as it attempts to challenge the DA, which last governed the metro in 2006.
Polling and political context
Ramaphosa’s visit comes as polling suggests shifting voter sentiment in the metro. An Ipsos survey published in September 2026 put the DA’s support in Cape Town at 46%, down from the 58.2% it secured in the 2021 local government elections. The same poll recorded the ANC at 26%, the EFF at 11% and the Patriotic Alliance at 8%.
| Party | September 2026 Ipsos poll | 2021 local election result (Cape Town) |
|---|---|---|
| DA | 46% | 58.2% |
| ANC | 26% | — |
| EFF | 11% | — |
| Patriotic Alliance | 8% | — |
Those figures indicate the DA could fall short of an outright majority, potentially setting the stage for coalition negotiations after the ballot. For the ANC, messaging focused on convincing voters the party can address service delivery and inequality — while acknowledging past failings.
Message on the ground
In Mfuleni, Ramaphosa urged ANC volunteers to have frank conversations with residents: highlight the party’s achievements, accept where it has fallen short and outline concrete steps to correct problems. He framed voting as a civic duty tied to constitutional rights.
“Voting gives all of us an opportunity to advance justice. What is justice? Justice is about ensuring that everyone enjoys the rights that our Constitution has to give to the people of our country,”
Later in the day the president addressed religious leaders and other community members at the International Peace College of South Africa in Rylands, outside Cape Town, reiterating the call to exercise democratic rights at the ballot box.
International stance raised alongside local plea
Ramaphosa also spoke about South Africa’s position on the conflict in Gaza during his visit, saying the government has consistently supported Palestinian self-determination. He referenced continuity from former international relations minister Naledi Pandor to current minister Ronald Lamola, saying the stance reflected the views of many South Africans despite criticism from other countries.
The inclusion of international issues on a local doorstep campaign underlines how national leaders are blending foreign-policy credentials with local electoral appeals ahead of a high-stakes municipal vote.
What this means for Cape Town voters
With less than three weeks to go before the election, the campaign push in informal settlements and suburbs across the metro is likely to intensify. Voters in Cape Town will hear competing promises on service delivery, housing, employment and safety as parties try to secure ward majorities or coalition partners.
- For ANC supporters: the campaign is casting the vote as a corrective to past governance failures and a route to expanding social rights.
- For DA backers: the party must defend its record in a city where it still polls strongly but faces erosion.
- For undecided voters: the outcome could determine whether Cape Town remains under single-party DA control or moves into a coalition era.
As the campaign enters its final weeks, the interplay between national leaders visiting local wards and neighbourhood-level organising will be decisive. Whether the ANC’s door-knocking in Mfuleni translates into votes across the metro is a test of the party’s ability to reconnect with urban voters in a city marked by stark inequality and varying service delivery.
Reporting by Siman Nare provided the basis for the account of Ramaphosa’s remarks and the Ipsos polling figures referenced in this article.
