Mbalula says ANC corruption, local failures have eroded public trust

By Johnathan Paoli

ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said on Monday that corruption, failing local government and poor service delivery had eroded public trust in the party, using a memorial for anti-apartheid activist Solomon Mahlangu to press for renewal ahead of the 2026 municipal elections.

Delivering the Solomon Mahlangu memorial lecture at Mamelodi West Community Hall on the 47th anniversary of Mahlangu’s execution, Mbalula said the ANC faced a moment of reckoning as it tried to rebuild confidence among communities increasingly frustrated by weak governance and broken services.

“Let us not mince words: Solomon Mahlangu did not give his life so that deployed officials could enrich themselves. Every act of corruption committed under the ANC’s banner is a betrayal of Solomon Mahlangu. Every service delivery failure is a desecration of his memory. Every leader who prioritises faction over the nation spits on the grave of those who gave their lives for