Ramaphosa Clarifies DA Praise: "Clean Audits Don't Mean Best Governance"

JOHANNESBURG, 20 Sept 2025 – President Cyril Ramaphosa has elaborated on his controversial comments that ANC-run municipalities should learn from their Democratic Alliance (DA) counterparts, clarifying that while the DA excels in administrative compliance and securing clean audits, it fails dramatically on the transformative change needed in South Africa's townships.

In an interview with SABC News, the President sought to clarify his earlier remarks, which had been seized upon by the DA as an endorsement. He argued that good governance is a two-fold issue: compliance and transformation.

READ: Ramaphosa: Municipalities Must Learn from DA-Led Cities

The Compliance vs. Transformation Argument

President Ramaphosa drew a clear distinction between the two parties' strengths and weaknesses in local government.

“Clean audits do not mean the best governance. It's a compliance issue,” he stated, directly addressing the excitement from DA circles. “There are quite a number of ANC-run municipalities that have clean audits.”

He conceded that from a compliance point of view, many DA municipalities are successful. However, he argued that this is only one part of the equation.

The DA's Shortcoming: Transformation

The President’s central criticism of the official opposition focused on what he sees as its lack of substantive change in the communities it governs.

“From a transformation point of view, they are not really meeting the mark,” he asserted. “The lives of the majority of people in townships under their control hasn't changed... they will tell you that those clean audits are not resulting in the transformation of their lives.”

He cited areas like Philippi, Delft, Khayamandi, and Langa as examples where, despite good financial management, residents still face "enormous challenges."

READ: Cyril Ramaphosa Backtracks on DA Praise, Says Comments "Got Lost in Translation"

A Two-Way Learning Street

The President’s comments framed a vision of mutual learning between the two rival parties, a rare plea for cross-party exchange in South Africa's often adversarial political landscape.

He invoked the words of ANC stalwart Oliver Tambo to make his point: “It does not mean that those who you are opposed to do not sometimes do right things. You must learn from them because they must also learn from you.”

His message to the DA was clear: learn transformative governance from the ANC. Conversely, his message to his own party was to adopt the DA's discipline for compliance and clean administration.

The remarks offer a glimpse into the governing philosophy of the Government of National Unity, suggesting that the future of South African governance may lie in synthesizing the perceived strengths of its largest competing parties.