‘Those who steal from the government, be warned:’ Ramaphosa warns ANC councillors against corruption
· Citizen
ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa issued a stern warning to the party’s future councillors elected after the November municipal elections.
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Ramaphosa made the remarks after wrapping up the ANC’s campaign trail in Emalahleni, Mpumalanga, over the weekend.
Voter registration
Several political parties across the country intensified their voter registration campaigns on Saturday and Sunday, which marked the final registration weekend ahead of the 4 November polls.
During his address, Ramaphosa urged South Africans not to sit on the sidelines but to play an active role in shaping the country’s future by registering to vote.
His call came as more than 11 million eligible citizens had yet to register.
Corruption
Ramaphosa also addressed concerns about corruption in local government.
“Those who steal money from the government, be warned. There are those who join government to steal money, we have opened a commission for them. They are getting arrested. Thieves are getting arrested, and there will be more arrests,” he said.
“And those we are going to elect on 4 November – our councillors – are warned. We don’t want thieves. We want those who have morals and discipline. Those that don’t have morals, we will take them out through the door and through the windows,” he added.
Madlanga Commission
Ramaphosa also addressed corrupt South African Police Service (Saps) officers
“The other aspect we are busy with – you have been watching it on TV every day – is that of crooked police officers, police doing illegal things. I’m not talking about the police you see standing here; they are appearing before the Madlanga Commission, and Madlanga is not playing now.”
“If you go to Madlanga and you don’t know your story, you will be arrested. Some are even shaking; they are afraid to go to Madlanga. They even go to the hospital to avoid Madlanga, and when in hospital they are always in the toilet,” Ramaphosa said.
Election proclamation
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission (IEC) said after the weekend voter registration, it is anticipating the minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to officially proclaim the date of the 2026 local government elections.
“The proclamation sets in motion a number of important processes. Firstly, the commission will have to publicise an election timetable. The timetable sets out cut-off times and dates for the performance of certain election functions, such as the publication of lists of voting stations, the publication of the inspection voters’ roll, and the cut-off date for candidate nomination,” IEC Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mambolo said.
“Once those processes are complied with, then we go into the ballot production phase. We anticipate printing in the region of over 70 million ballot papers in a three-week window period. So, it’s a complex logistical exercise which must be approached with proper diligence, Mamabolo said.
Democracy participation
Recent surveys reveal a troubling trend: growing numbers of South Africans are tuning out of democratic participation, with research pointing to rising voter apathy and disengagement from civic life.
The Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC) and the IEC’s 2026 Voter Participation Survey (VPS) reveal that public demand for democracy in South Africa has dropped to a historic low of 36%, down from 65% in the mid-2000s.