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The African Congress for Transformation (ACT) has launched a comprehensive 10‑point plan aimed at restoring reliable water, electricity, roads, waste management, and security to South Africa's municipalities. The manifesto focuses on dismantling patronage networks, insourcing municipal positions, and ensuring public money is spent for community benefit. The party nominated 637 councillor candidates and over 200 PR candidates across six provinces and major metropolitan areas, calling for mayoral appointments by community representatives. The announcement included support from allied parties like Voice for Change.
The African Congress for Transformation (ACT) made a sweeping announcement on Wednesday night inside the bustling township of Thabong in Welkom, aimed at transforming the way local governance is approached across South Africa.
ACT Unveils Local Election Manifesto
Speaking before a crowd that swelled to the limits of a community hall, ACT President Ace Magashule unveiled the party's first ever local government election manifesto. The manifesto is a ten‑point plan that promises to eradicate entrenched patronage relationships and establish reliable services for the residents of municipalities nationwide, with the upcoming municipal elections on November 4 serving as the launchpad for these reforms.
The heart of the ACT's strategy is to establish what Magashule described as a return to "basic civilization standards.
" The plan focuses on delivering essential services that citizens have for long now: consistent water supply, uninterrupted electricity, safe roadways, regular waste removal and, crucially, community‑driven safety and security as a universal right rather than a privilege reserved for a select few. The president was unequivocal in his message that public resources belong to people and should be allocated responsibly.
When a water tap is turned on, it should, as he said, run clean and reliably, and when a car turns down a street, it should not meet a sea of potholes that impede daily life. For safety, ACT's plan includes stricter municipal bylaws on the sale of alcohol in neighbourhoods, especially banning taverns close to schools, and restricting all‑night music, all aimed at reducing crime and improving community wellbeing.
Municipal Services and Governance Reform
Magashule's speech came at a time when the state of municipal governance in many parts of the country continues to be a source of frustration. He attributed the decline in municipal performance to political loyalty, besieging local service delivery. In response, the ACT's ten‑point plan declares a strategy to wipe out the reliance on a complex tender system for municipal services.
Instead, the party will "insource" key roles, creating permanent positions with benefits and freeing the cells of the public to be staffed purely on merit, zeal and competence, rather than on political contact lists. The ACT's zone of power will condition strict professional conduct: no exclusive corridors of power, no elites trotting around feeling detached from the people.
In an interview with the press, Magashule said that the first 100 days in office will not be about making unrealistic short‑term promises. Instead, the premier focus will be on auditing municipal failures, meeting with stakeholders and consulting residents to lay a long‑term foundation. The party is also avoiding the pre‑selection of mayors and is calling for mayors to be chosen by local residents and elected councillors after the elections, a significant shift to empower the demographic she.
ACT Expands Electoral Candidate Network
The manifesto's launch was accompanied by a display of the party's staggering electoral structure. ACT is fielding 637 councillor candidates and a large quantitative pool of over 200 proportional representation candidates. The party is launching its plans across all major metropolitan areas but also set a bold strategy in six of the country's provinces: Free State, North West, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, KwaZulu‑Natal and in all metropolitan municipalities.
Inside the Free State, the party has prepared a blitz at all the municipalities except two, with particular mention of the Mohokare municipality in the Xhariep district. When questioned about qualifications for candidates, Mr. Magashule surprised some by announcing that ACT will no longer require a Matric certificate to be an elected councillor. The priority will be on candidates' practical experience, community knowledge and their ability to communicate effectively with residents in their native languages, even including sign language.
The manifesto also integrated youth engagement as a mustnote: an ACT councillor candidate explained that representation is already active on the ground with households. The party is gathering household databases and addressing issues such as water leaks and potholes through in‑field community outreach. The launch was a call on youth employment as well. A young ACT member lamented that youth unemployment has become a scourge.
The party's response was to propose municipal youth employment schemes, apprenticeships and digital hubs that would position young workers as immediate drivers of the local economy. The ACT also emphasised inclusivity for older workers, recognising that those in their 40s, 50s and 60s are also vital breadwinners. The manifesto was supported by allied movements, such as the newly registered Voice for Change (VFC) party. A VFC representative joined the event to express solidarity with the ACT.
Progressive Coalition and Election Ambitions
VFC's principles align with ACT's left‑leaning preps and shared views on municipal transformation. VFC has claimed to register over 1,000 names for its own proportional representation lists in support of the broader progressive coalition. Behind the speeches and policies, ACT's manifesto is forward‑looking: dismantle economic corruption in municipal procurement, refrt the use of public money to serve people directly, host 100‑day opening consultative periods for each successful councillor, and foster local autonomy.
The party, formerly known as the African Congress for Development, is hoping to shake up a system that many voters have historically found to work for the partisan elite, promising instead an era that is responsive to local needs. The election is set against the backdrop of a South African setup that is still dealing with dysfunctional municipalities that folks cite as preventing development.
As the Queen puts it, it is a chance to bring people's call to action front and centre. And ACT's ambition is rewarded by the fact that the proposed policies compare to the suggestions that a previous manifesto outlined for little chance of changes. There is a sense that the party is prepared to deliver on these solutions as correctness-if they will fully accomplish it.
With the November 4 elections now just a few months away, ABCT's 10‑point plan is the most rigorous attempt to regain the public's faith in the local government. The party is dependent on a robust electoral campaign that can provide and a core that all people in the provinces surveyed to be responsible for their rights.
Moreover, the current struggling political situation in the country has a community called after a party's death. The mob, that is, the regiment impacts the ornamental municipality and police. While some have called this a noble endeavour, ACT still has critically given very serious government fiduciary over the next day. In closing, ACT capitalises on its appeal to spenders, gamblers and practical observer.
The overarching narrative the party reached hopes is that dedicated expansion? These could recognise the move to a more prepared, uniform and human‑respectful development.
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