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 economy50%
How the council is run41%
Party conduct and general pledges9%

What a council can do with them

Within a council’s powers46%
Outside a council’s powers12%
About the party itself11%
Could not be assessed by Ukweli31%

“Within a council’s powers” covers services it can deliver, duties of running the council, and work shared with other government.

Most of its promises are on

Running the council132 · 41%

Jobs, local economy and small business39 · 12%

Safety and crime28 · 9%

Party conduct and general pledges28 · 9%

4 themes are listed because third place is tied.

Worth asking its candidates

On electricity and energy, Ukweli has assessed 5 of its 8 promises, and 3 of those 5 are outside a council’s powers. How would a council deliver them?

On safety and crime, Ukweli has assessed 13 of its 28 promises, and 7 of those 13 are outside a council’s powers. How would a council deliver them?

Read every ANC promise and Ukweli’s finding →

DA

244 promises

What the promises are about

Services and the local economy79%
How the council is run18%
Party conduct and general pledges3%

What a council can do with them

Within a council’s powers46%
Outside a council’s powers16%
About the party itself11%
Could not be assessed by Ukweli26%

“Within a council’s powers” covers services it can deliver, duties of running the council, and work shared with other government.

Most of its promises are on

Running the council44 · 18%

Safety and crime33 · 14%

Jobs, local economy and small business33 · 14%

Worth asking its candidates

On housing, land and title deeds, Ukweli has assessed 16 of its 22 promises, and 11 of those 16 are outside a council’s powers. How would a council deliver them?

Read every DA promise and Ukweli’s finding →

EFF

287 promises

What the promises are about

Services and the local economy81%
How the council is run14%
Party conduct and general pledges5%

What a council can do with them

Within a council’s powers46%
Outside a council’s powers23%
About the party itself6%
Could not be assessed by Ukweli26%

“Within a council’s powers” covers services it can deliver, duties of running the council, and work shared with other government.

Most of its promises are on

Health, social support, youth, sport and culture64 · 22%

Jobs, local economy and small business50 · 17%

Running the council39 · 14%

Worth asking its candidates

On housing, land and title deeds, Ukweli has assessed 19 of its 26 promises, and 19 of those 19 are outside a council’s powers. How would a council deliver them?

Read every EFF promise and Ukweli’s finding →

IFP

68 promises

What the promises are about

Services and the local economy66%
How the council is run29%
Party conduct and general pledges4%

What a council can do with them

Within a council’s powers38%
Outside a council’s powers12%
About the party itself12%
Could not be assessed by Ukweli38%

“Within a council’s powers” covers services it can deliver, duties of running the council, and work shared with other government.

Most of its promises are on

Running the council20 · 29%

Roads, transport and other infrastructure13 · 19%

Health, social support, youth, sport and culture12 · 18%

Worth asking its candidates

On jobs, local economy and small business, Ukweli has assessed 6 of its 9 promises, and 3 of those 6 are outside a council’s powers. How would a council deliver them?

Read every IFP promise and Ukweli’s finding →

The ten themes side by side

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 244	11% 27 of 244	6% 14 of 244	9% 22 of 244	10% 24 of 244	14% 33 of 244	14% 33 of 244	6% 15 of 244	18% 44 of 244	3% 7 of 244
EFF	6% 18 of 287	5% 15 of 287	9% 27 of 287	9% 26 of 287	6% 16 of 287	6% 17 of 287	17% 50 of 287	22% 64 of 287	14% 39 of 287	5% 15 of 287
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

ANC	DA	EFF	IFP
4% 13 of 323	10% 25 of 244	6% 18 of 287	4% 3 of 68
2% 8 of 323	11% 27 of 244	5% 15 of 287	1% 1 of 68
7% 23 of 323	6% 14 of 244	9% 27 of 287	19% 13 of 68
4% 13 of 323	9% 22 of 244	9% 26 of 287	1% 1 of 68
5% 15 of 323	10% 24 of 244	6% 16 of 287	0% 0 of 68
9% 28 of 323	14% 33 of 244	6% 17 of 287	9% 6 of 68
12% 39 of 323	14% 33 of 244	17% 50 of 287	13% 9 of 68
7% 24 of 323	6% 15 of 244	22% 64 of 287	18% 12 of 68
41% 132 of 323	18% 44 of 244	14% 39 of 287	29% 20 of 68
9% 28 of 323	3% 7 of 244	5% 15 of 287	4% 3 of 68

Tap any theme or cell to see what Ukweli found and read the promises.