CAPE TOWN — The GOOD Party has strongly rejected President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent praise of Democratic Alliance (DA)-run municipalities, arguing that the president is ignoring the deep inequalities and social challenges affecting millions in these areas.
On Monday, while addressing African National Congress (ANC) councillors in Soweto, Ramaphosa singled out the Cape Town and Stellenbosch municipalities as examples of good governance. He pointed to their consistent record of clean audits, including for the 2023/24 financial year, calling them “benchmarks for what municipalities should strive to achieve.”
However, the GOOD Party responded swiftly, saying that clean financial audits do not reflect the lived experiences of many residents, particularly in poorer and historically marginalized communities.
GOOD Party: Clean Audits Don’t Equal Fairness
GOOD Party secretary-general Brett Herron issued a strong rebuttal to Ramaphosa’s remarks, warning against equating audit outcomes with social equity or effective governance for all.
“It is true that DA-led municipalities obtain vastly superior audit results than ANC-led municipalities,” said Herron. “But where do the benefits lie for the millions of people in Cape Town who live in fear of their and their children’s lives due to systemic gang violence?”
He described the environments in which many residents live as “breeding grounds for anti-social behaviour,” adding that they are often overlooked in governance discussions despite being central to community wellbeing.
Herron said that Cape Town and Stellenbosch may appear well-managed on paper, but the lived realities tell a very different story for large sections of the population — particularly those living in poverty and under constant threat of violence.
Going beyond audit performance, Herron described Cape Town and Stellenbosch as “global benchmarks for inequality”, saying that this inequality is both visible and sustained through government inaction.
“South African citizens deserve higher standards than having to choose between a self-confessed party of looters and a party that uses clean audits as a platform from which to proclaim its morality while sustaining inequality,” Herron stated.
GOOD Party- He further accused the DA of using audit results as political capital, without addressing the deeper socio-economic problems within their jurisdictions.
President Ramaphosa’s praise came as the ANC attempts to bolster its municipal performance ahead of future elections. His comments were intended to motivate ANC councillors to emulate governance models that, in his view, deliver transparent and accountable administration.
“We need to take a serious look at what makes Cape Town and Stellenbosch function efficiently,” Ramaphosa said during his speech. “We should not shy away from acknowledging good governance, even if it comes from our political opponents.”
Yet the GOOD Party has cautioned against focusing solely on audit performance, warning that it risks oversimplifying what good governance actually means.
Herron emphasized that financial management should not be the only measure of success. He urged national leaders to consider whether governance is translating into safer communities, equitable development, and improved quality of life for all residents — not just for those in affluent suburbs or well-serviced areas.
The debate ignited by Ramaphosa’s comments comes at a time when South Africans are increasingly disillusioned with political leadership across the board. While some municipalities may be meeting financial and administrative targets, daily life in many communities remains plagued by crime, poor infrastructure, and lack of service delivery.
The GOOD Party, formed in 2018 by former Cape Town Mayor Patricia de Lille, has built its platform on tackling these very issues — advocating for spatial justice, equal access to services, and rooting out corruption at all levels.
Herron argued that it is precisely this disconnection between audits and reality that underscores the country’s ongoing governance crisis.
“We cannot accept a system where a clean audit is a shield behind which suffering is ignored,” he said. “We need leaders who are willing to measure success by the quality of life they deliver to every citizen — not just by the neatness of their spreadsheets.”
As the conversation around governance continues, the GOOD Party is calling for a more nuanced and people-centered approach to measuring municipal success. This includes factoring in community safety, inequality, access to services, and the protection of vulnerable populations — especially in cities like Cape Town, where these disparities are stark and persistent.
The party’s response to Ramaphosa is not just a criticism of DA municipalities but a broader critique of how political leaders, regardless of party affiliation, define and promote “success.”
Source- EWN
