ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa during the unveiling of the party’s six-point manifesto ahead of the 4 November local government elections at Riverside Park near Diepsloot.
The recent suggestion for a merger of Gauteng's major municipalities into one cohesive unit has ignited a fervent debate among local government experts, party leaders, and citizens alike. In an interview with a prominent Sunday publication, ANC first deputy secretary general, Nomvula Mokonyane, proposed re-evaluating the province’s municipal boundaries.
She emphasised the need for a reconfiguration that would enable better integrated planning and development, a sentiment that echoes across the ruling party's shrinking support base.
Mokonyane pointed out that municipal boundaries have blurred to the point that residents may not even realise they have moved from Johannesburg into Tshwane. "A few years back, you could know you were leaving Johannesburg now and travelling to Tshwane. Nowadays, you just see the sign on the road that says you are in Centurion, but thought you were still in Midrand," she noted.
However, this ambitious proposal arrives at a time of uncertainty for the ANC as it grapples with declining support in key urban areas.
