MEDIA RELEASE
2026-10-04
SUMMARY: The Labour Party of South Africa (Labour Party), on 3 October 2026, unveiled its 2026 Local Government Election Manifesto in Mzinti, Nkomazi, Mpumalanga. The Manifesto, launched under the theme “Disrupting the Status Quo!”, sets out seven pledges to restore reliable basic services, secure fair land and housing, rebuild public infrastructure, create decent local work, make communities safer, open opportunity to everyone, and govern honestly while spending wisely. Labour Party interim President Joseph Mathunjwa said the Manifesto is a people’s contract with local government and a call to return public power to the working class.
The Labour Party of South Africa (Labour Party), on 3 October 2026, unveiled its 2026 Local Government Election Manifesto in Mzinti, Nkomazi, Mpumalanga, setting out its programme for contesting the 2026 Local Government Elections and rebuilding municipalities around service delivery, dignity, accountability, and decent local work.
“Today we are not merely launching a document. We are launching a contract with the nation. We are saying that municipalities must stop serving politicians, tenderpreneurs and connected elites, and must return to their most basic duty, which is to serve residents with honesty, competence and dignity”, said Labour Party interim President Joseph Mathunjwa.
The Manifesto was launched under the theme “Disrupting the Status Quo!” and is built around seven pledges, namely restoring reliable basic services, securing fair land and housing, rebuilding public infrastructure, creating decent local work, making communities safer, opening opportunity to everyone, and governing honestly while spending wisely.
“For too long, the working class has been told to wait. Wait for water. Wait for roads. Wait for jobs. Wait for safety. Wait for housing. Wait for dignity. The Labour Party is saying today that the waiting must end. The power is in the hands of residents, and that power must now be used to change local government”, said Mathunjwa.
The Labour Party said the choice of Mzinti, in Nkomazi, was deliberate, as the area reflects both the challenges and opportunities facing many municipalities in South Africa. Nkomazi is located in a strategic part of Mpumalanga, close to Mozambique, Eswatini and the Kruger National Park, with significant potential in agriculture, tourism, trade, logistics, and local production.
“Mzinti and Nkomazi remind us that South Africa does not lack potential. There is land here. There is labour here. There is agriculture here. There is knowledge here. There is productive capacity here. What has failed is government’s ability to convert that potential into jobs, services, infrastructure and dignity”, said Mathunjwa.
The Manifesto commits Labour-led municipalities to publishing ward-level service backlogs and repair schedules, including an initial register of critical service failures and high-risk infrastructure within the first 100 days of taking office.
“The first 100 days will not clear every backlog. We are not here to lie to the nation. But the first 100 days must end the hiding of backlogs. Residents must know what is broken, who is responsible, what can be repaired immediately, what needs capital work, and when progress will be reported”, said Mathunjwa.
On land and housing, the Labour Party said municipal land must be identified, protected and used in the public interest, including for well-located affordable housing, informal settlement upgrading, renewable-energy projects, agricultural skills programmes, local food markets, and productive livelihoods.
“Municipal land must not be treated as the private property of politicians and their friends. Land must serve communities. Land must support housing. Land must support production. Land must support food, work and dignity. A municipality that hides land from residents is not governing; it is stealing the future”, said Mathunjwa.
The Manifesto also places emphasis on rebuilding public infrastructure, including roads, drains, public buildings, parks, cemeteries, municipal vehicles, and other essential assets that allow frontline municipal teams to perform their duties.
“A municipality that cannot maintain infrastructure cannot sustain a local economy. Bad roads are not just potholes; they are lost income, broken vehicles, delayed ambulances, unsafe transport and isolated communities. The Labour Party will not govern by excuses. We will govern by inspection, planning, repair, and reporting”, said Mathunjwa.
On employment, the Labour Party said municipalities cannot create jobs by announcement, but can use their assets, purchasing power, planning powers, service budgets, land, and facilities to open real opportunities for residents, local enterprises, cooperatives, informal traders, and young people.
“Jobs are not created by slogans. Work is created when budgets are used properly, when maintenance backlogs become work plans, when young people are trained, when local suppliers are paid on time, and when municipalities stop outsourcing everything to politically connected companies. Public money must create public value”, said Mathunjwa.
The Party said that Labour-led municipalities will examine recurring outsourced services and assess where functions can be performed by properly equipped, trained, and supervised municipal teams, with sustainable budgets and fair labour standards.
“Outsourcing has too often become a feeding scheme for the connected. Where a municipality can do the work itself, with trained workers, proper tools and proper supervision, that option must be seriously examined. The first employment priority is to restore the capacity of municipalities to deliver essential services”, said Mathunjwa.
The Manifesto further pledges that the Labour Party will commit to making communities safer by improving lighting, maintaining public spaces, addressing abandoned buildings and overgrown areas, strengthening municipal law enforcement where authorised, and coordinating with the South African Police Service and community structures.
“Safety is not only about police vans and arrests. A dark street is a safety issue. An abandoned building is a safety issue. A broken park is a safety issue. A dangerous transport stop is a safety issue. Women’s safety, children’s safety and community safety must be planned, budgeted for and delivered”, said Mathunjwa.
The Labour Party said the Manifesto also prioritises opportunity for young people, including apprenticeships, libraries, digital access, municipal facilities for skills and enterprise support, and the maintenance of parks, sports grounds, and cultural facilities.
“The youth must not be treated as political decoration. Young people do not need speeches only. They need skills. They need facilities. They need digital access. They need safe spaces. They need apprenticeships. They need real pathways into work and enterprise”, said Mathunjwa.
On governance, the Labour Party said senior and technical posts must be filled through transparent, merit-based processes, while tenders, awarded contracts, variation orders, audit findings, and corrective actions must be published in accessible formats.
“Political affiliation must never replace technical competence. A water system does not care which faction you belong to. A road does not repair itself because a comrade has been deployed. Municipalities need skilled people, honest systems, consequence management and public reporting”, said Mathunjwa.
Each Labour-led municipality will be expected to prepare a five-year People’s Plan through lawful planning and budget processes, publish a baseline of service backlogs, infrastructure condition, vacancies, debt and finances, and provide quarterly public updates on what was promised, funded, completed, and delayed.
“A manifesto without implementation is a pamphlet. A promise without funding is manipulation. A pledge without reporting is a slogan. The Labour Party is placing a measurable programme before the nation, and residents must hold every Labour Party councillor accountable to it”, said Mathunjwa.
The Labour Party said that where it does not govern alone, the Manifesto will guide its negotiations, votes, and oversight in councils, and the Party will disclose undertakings secured and explain publicly when progress is blocked.
“We will not hide behind coalition confusion. We will not hide behind closed-door deals. We will not hide behind political convenience. Whether we govern alone or influence a council from the opposition benches, residents must know where the Labour Party stands”, said Mathunjwa.
The Labour Party called on residents to study the Manifesto, attend community meetings, question councillor candidates, and use the 2026 Local Government Elections to demand visible service delivery, honest spending, decent local work, and accountable municipalities.
“This election must not be treated as routine. It is a moment for residents to decide whether broken municipalities must continue, or whether power must be withdrawn from those who have failed and given to those who are prepared to account. The vote is not a favour to politicians. The vote is the power base of the nation”, said Mathunjwa.
The Party said voters must judge political parties and councillor candidates by funded plans, visible repairs, fair administration, regular reporting, clean governance, and measurable improvements in daily life.
“Do not vote with fear. Do not vote because of T-shirts. Do not vote because of food parcels. Do not vote because of slogans. Vote based on what is happening in your street, in your ward, in your municipality, and in your household. Vote based on whether water works, whether roads are repaired, whether refuse is collected, whether public money is explained, and whether dignity is visible”, said Mathunjwa.
The Labour Party said the 2026 Local Government Elections present an opportunity to rebuild municipal services, restore public trust, create decent local work, and return power to residents.
“The power is in your hands. Nobody can continue to rule badly unless residents give them that power again. On 4 November 2026, take that power seriously. Use it to demand dignity. Use it to demand accountable municipalities. Use it to demand a government that serves. The power is in your hands. It is possible. You are enough to make the change”, said Mathunjwa.
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