Deep dive into the 436 of 1,378 analysed promises from ten LGE 2026 manifestos of contesting parties that are outside a council’s listed functions or led by another sphere: what they are about, and who holds the power instead. Whose power is it?Deep dive into the 436 of 1,378 analysed promises from ten LGE 2026 manifestos of contesting parties that are outside a council’s listed functions or led by another sphere: what they are about, and who holds the power instead. Whose power is it?
What the parties are promising your council.
2026 Local Government Elections · Party manifestos side by side · Preview
What this tells you as a voter
What each party is talking about. Every promise is placed under one of ten themes, the same ten for every party. Look for the themes that matter to you.
Whether a council can actually do it. Ukweli checked each promise against the powers the Constitution gives a council. A promise outside those powers cannot be delivered by a council alone, whichever party wins.
What to ask. Where many of a party’s promises on a theme are outside a council’s powers, ask its candidates how they would deliver them.
This page counts promises. It does not score or rank any party, and it does not say whether any promise will be kept. More promises on a theme is not better or worse.
Choose the parties to compare
Pick up to 4. Shown first: the four largest parties by votes in the 2021 local government elections (IEC results). Every party is analysed and shown on the same terms.
Showing 4 of 10 parties.
Each party at a glance
Every line is worked out the same way for every party, from that party’s own promises. Parties are in alphabetical order.
ANC
323 promises
What the promises are about
Services and the local economy163 · 50%
How the council is run132 · 41%
Party conduct and general pledges28 · 9%
0%100% of its promises
What a council can do with them
Within a council’s powers44%
Led by another sphere, council has a role3%
Outside a council’s powers10%
About the party itself8%
Could not be assessed by Ukweli34%
“Within a council’s powers” covers services it can deliver, duties of running the council, and work shared with other government.
On jobs, local economy and small business, Ukweli has assessed 21 of its 39 promises, and 15 of those 21 are outside a council’s powers. How would a council deliver them?
On jobs, local economy and small business, Ukweli has assessed 40 of its 50 promises, and 25 of those 40 are outside a council’s powers. How would a council deliver them?
Each cell is the share of that party’s promises on the theme. A darker cell means a larger share of that party’s promises, not a better one. On each theme, the outlined cell (◆) is the party, among those shown, for which that theme takes the largest share of its promises; where shares round to the same figure, each is outlined.
ANC
4%
13 of 323
2%
8 of 323
7%
23 of 323
4%
13 of 323
5%
15 of 323
9%
28 of 323
12%
39 of 323
7%
24 of 323
◆41%
132 of 323
◆9%
28 of 323
DA
◆10%
25 of 246
◆11%
27 of 246
6%
14 of 246
◆9%
22 of 246
◆10%
24 of 246
◆14%
34 of 246
13%
33 of 246
6%
15 of 246
18%
45 of 246
3%
7 of 246
EFF
6%
18 of 289
5%
15 of 289
9%
27 of 289
◆9%
27 of 289
6%
16 of 289
6%
17 of 289
◆17%
50 of 289
◆22%
65 of 289
13%
39 of 289
5%
15 of 289
IFP
4%
3 of 68
1%
1 of 68
◆19%
13 of 68
1%
1 of 68
0%
0 of 68
9%
6 of 68
13%
9 of 68
18%
12 of 68
29%
20 of 68
4%
3 of 68
Theme
ANC
DA
EFF
IFP
4%
13 of 323
◆10%
25 of 246
6%
18 of 289
4%
3 of 68
2%
8 of 323
◆11%
27 of 246
5%
15 of 289
1%
1 of 68
7%
23 of 323
6%
14 of 246
9%
27 of 289
◆19%
13 of 68
4%
13 of 323
◆9%
22 of 246
◆9%
27 of 289
1%
1 of 68
5%
15 of 323
◆10%
24 of 246
6%
16 of 289
0%
0 of 68
9%
28 of 323
◆14%
34 of 246
6%
17 of 289
9%
6 of 68
12%
39 of 323
13%
33 of 246
◆17%
50 of 289
13%
9 of 68
7%
24 of 323
6%
15 of 246
◆22%
65 of 289
18%
12 of 68
◆41%
132 of 323
18%
45 of 246
13%
39 of 289
29%
20 of 68
◆9%
28 of 323
3%
7 of 246
5%
15 of 289
4%
3 of 68
Tap any theme or cell to see what Ukweli found and read the promises.