Local government elections taking place in Gauteng, residents vote for their chosen councilers . (Delwyn Verasamy)
As the president prepares to deliver the State of the Nation Address (Sona), the country does so against the backdrop of the African National Congress’s (ANC) declaration of 2026 as the ‘Year of Decisive Action to Fix Local Government and Transform the Economy’. This convergence is not coincidental. It reflects a shared recognition within the movement and the state that South Africa has entered a phase in which ambition must be matched by execution and promise by performance.
The January 8 Statement should therefore be read as a political prelude to Sona: a statement of intent that sets expectations not only for government, but for the governing movement itself. After 114 years, the ANC understands that its historical authority, once earned through struggle, must now be renewed through delivery.
Governing at a time of heightened expectation
The ANC remains one of the few liberation movements to have successfully transitioned into a constitutional governing party while retaining mass support. Yet the current conjuncture is qualitatively different from the early years of democracy. Citizens no longer judge leadership by intention alone; they judge it by outcomes.
Sona, in this context, is expected to move beyond broad vision and aspirational language. The public will listen for evidence of decisiveness: clear priorities, firm timelines and a demonstrable grasp of the everyday pressures faced by households and communities. The January 8 Statement has already narrowed this focus by identifying local government and economic transformation as the decisive fronts of action.
Local government: the first test of credibility
Few issues will weigh more heavily on public perception than the state of local government. Municipal failure has become the most visible expression of state weakness, and it is here that confidence in democratic governance has been most severely tested.
Expectations ahead of Sona are therefore clear. South Africans will look for concrete interventions to stabilise municipalities, professionalise administration, enforce accountability and restore basic services. General commitments will no longer suffice. What is required is a sense that the state understands the political cost of inaction and is prepared to act with urgency.
The ANC’s emphasis on reconnecting councillors with their wards speaks directly to this challenge. Functional local government is not merely about infrastructure and finances; it is about rebuilding trust between the state and citizens.
Economic transformation and the question of inclusion
Economic renewal will be the second major lens through which Sona is assessed. After years of low growth, modest improvements offer cautious optimism, but they do not yet translate into widespread relief.
The public will expect Sona to articulate how growth will be converted into jobs, incomes and opportunity, particularly for young people. The ANC’s long-standing commitment to industrial policy, infrastructure investment, land reform and black economic empowerment (BEE) provides a coherent framework, but credibility now rests on implementation.
The emphasis on township and rural economies, informal enterprises and small-scale producers must be reflected in concrete policy measures. Economic transformation that remains abstract will fail to mobilise political support; transformation that is visible will re-anchor legitimacy.
Constitutional democracy and the role of the state
As the country marks 30 years of constitutional democracy, Sona is also expected to reaffirm the state’s commitment to the Constitution, not as a symbolic artefact, but as a living framework for social justice.
In a global environment where constitutionalism and multilateralism are increasingly under strain, South Africa’s democratic project carries both domestic and international significance. Yet the defence of constitutional values will ring hollow if citizens experience the state as ineffective or indifferent.
The ANC’s position is clear: the Constitution and transformation are mutually reinforcing. Sona must therefore demonstrate how rights will be realised through effective governance, particularly in the provision of basic services and economic opportunity.
Renewal, Accountability and the Exercise of Power
The credibility of both the ANC and the state ultimately rests on leadership and conduct. The January 8 Statement’s emphasis on organisational renewal signals an understanding that governance failures are inseparable from political culture.
Ahead of Sona, expectations are high that the state will demonstrate seriousness about accountability and consequence management. Public confidence will be shaped not only by new initiatives, but by evidence that underperformance and corruption are confronted without hesitation.
A moment that demands substance
The alignment between the January 8 Statement and the forthcoming State of the Nation Address creates a moment of heightened expectation. South Africans are not looking for reassurance; they are looking for resolve.
If Sona reflects the decisiveness outlined in the January 8 Statement through clear commitments on local government reform, economic transformation and accountable governance, it will signal that the ANC remains capable of translating political intent into state action. In doing so, it would renew the movement’s liberation legitimacy in the eyes of the electorate.
If it does not, declarations will be exposed as substitutes for delivery.
The coming year will therefore test not only policy, but political will. History will judge the ANC not by what it proclaims, but by what it achieves.
Nkosinathi Mtshali is an LLB student and committed social activist with a strong interest in justice, governance, and community development. Currently pursuing legal studies, he is developing a solid foundation in constitutional principles, human rights and the practical application of law in addressing social challenges. Alongside his academic journey, he is actively engaged in civic and organisational work, contributing to grassroots initiatives and advocacy efforts aimed at improving the lives of people in his community.