DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has dismissed the ANC’s pledges ahead of the 2026 local government election as lacking integrity, positioning the DA as the only viable alternative to repair collapsing basic services.

Hill-Lewis dismantled the ANC’s campaign narrative, labelling its turnaround promises as "entirely unrealistic".

The attack follows political campaigning by the ANC, which presented its local government elections manifesto over the weekend.

Hill-Lewis argued that the ANC’s manifesto asks South Africans to believe that the same party that presided over weak municipal governance will suddenly reverse the damage within 100 days, and fill every critical municipal vacancy within 120 days.

"These promises are implausible and lack all integrity," Hill-Lewis declared. "The ANC cannot be trusted to fix what it has broken."

Positioning the DA as the antidote to institutional decay, Hill-Lewis asserted that only his party can fix South Africa’s towns and cities, restore State integrity, halt corruption, and repair failing basic services.

Hill-Lewis drew a sharp contrast between the ANC’s future promises and the DA’s current governance track record.

"The ANC asks South Africans to trust another set of promises. The DA shows people exactly how we are already making government work, and can do the same in many more towns and cities," he said.

ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu defended the party's platform, explaining that the “immense national attention” generated by its weekend events affirmed the ANC’s “enduring stature” as a people’s movement.

Bhengu highlighted the strategic decision to host the Manifesto Launch in Riverside, in Diepsloot, as a continuation of the party's commitment to taking major political events directly to grassroots communities.

“It affirmed the centrality of the people in shaping the organisation’s programme and gave practical expression to the Freedom Charter’s injunction that 'The People Shall Govern’,” she said.

Addressing criticisms of its local leadership deployment, Bhengu announced that the ANC has adopted “strict new selection criteria" to identify ethical, capable, and qualified leaders from within and beyond its official membership.

The party expects these candidates to understand deeply the developmental responsibilities of local government.

The ANC's final mayoral candidates are scheduled to be officially announced in September.

Through its six-pillar manifesto, Bhengu maintained that the ANC has “openly recognised existing weaknesses” in local government and is committing itself to decisive self-correction.

Bhengu promised that the organisation will intensify efforts to fight corruption and strengthen governance, address service delivery blockages, create jobs and aggressively invest in infrastructure and consult communities continuously across the country.

"Encouraged by the overwhelming turnout in Diepsloot and the strong representation of women among its mayoral nominees, the ANC enters the elections confident, renewed and determined to reclaim lost ground and build better communities," she said.