DA Mayor Claps Back at ANC Leader’s Rare Praise in Governance Spat

CAPE TOWN — Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis seized on backhanded praise from African National Congress (ANC) President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday, turning the ruling party’s self-critique into a scathing indictment of its governance record.

Ramaphosa stunned delegates at an ANC councillors accountability summit on Monday by admitting: “Those municipalities that do best are not ANC-controlled… they are often DA-controlled.”

The rare concession came as  Ramaphosa unveiled a new Service Delivery and Infrastructure Action Plan to salvage the party’s crumbling local governance reputation.

Hill-Lewis, whose DA-led city consistently tops national service delivery rankings, shot back on X: “Thanks, Mr. President, for noticing the DA difference.” Mocking Ramaphosa’s rhetorical follow-up—“What could it be?”—the mayor listed “merit-based appointments, economic growth focus, and zero tolerance for looting public funds” as key drivers.

The barbed exchange followed ANC Chair Gwede Mantashe’s blistering critique of party councillors at the same event: “They can only sing [struggle songs] but cannot govern.”

Ramaphosa’s uncharacteristic nod to DA efficiency underscores deepening fissures within the ANC as it trails in polls ahead of 2026 local elections.