The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Eastern Cape has set its sights firmly on the 2026 local government elections, pledging to prioritise service delivery, economic growth and safer communities across municipalities.
Speaking at the party’s provincial congress in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape Provincial Leader Andrew Whitfield said the upcoming local polls will be the most important and toughest yet for the party. Whitfield was re-elected unopposed to lead the party in the province for another three years. Yusuf Cassim was also elected unopposed as DA Eastern Cape Provincial Chairperson, while Alfred Nzo-born and raised Baxolile “Bax” Nodada was elected as the DA Eastern Cape Deputy Provincial Chairperson.
In his address, Whitfield painted a picture of a province facing deep challenges, including high unemployment, rising violent crime and struggling municipalities. He cited the province’s official unemployment rate of 42.5%, saying that rural areas are even worse affected, with expanded unemployment sitting at over 60%. Whitfield criticised the Eastern Cape provincial government, led by Premier Oscar Mabuyane, for what he described as a failure to present a credible plan to deal with unemployment, crime and infrastructure backlogs during the recent State of the Province Address.
One of the notable interventions mentioned was the long-awaited upgrade of the Tebetebe suspension bridge in the Umzimvubu Local Municipality in Alfred Nzo District. The project was delivered by DA Minister of Public Works, Dean MacPherson, following sustained campaigning by local DA leaders. According to Whitfield, the bridge upgrade has improved access for learners travelling to school, pensioners collecting social grants, and small businesses transporting goods. The DA presented the project as an example of how national government involvement can support rural communities when there is political will. Whitfield argued that collapsing municipalities are at the centre of the province’s economic crisis. He said poor service delivery including water outages, sewage spills, pothole-ridden roads and uncollected refuse has made many towns unattractive to investors, leading to business closures and job losses.
The DA maintains that stabilising municipalities is key to economic recovery. Whitfield said the party wants clear and measurable commitments to fix local government finances, ensure proper spending of conditional grants, address infrastructure backlogs including roads maintenance and improve water supply systems.
Crime was another key issue raised at the congress. Whitfield said Eastern Cape residents remain among the most vulnerable in the country to violent crime, including murder, rape and kidnapping. He called for stronger consequence management, better policing and decisive action against organised criminal networks.
Whitfield pointed to the DA-led Kouga Municipality in the Sarah Baartman District as a governance model, saying clean audits, infrastructure investment and financial discipline can attract investment and lower unemployment. The DA argues that similar governance approaches could benefit municipalities across the province. He also praised DA ministers serving in the Government of National Unity, including Leon Schreiber, Solly Malatsi, and John Steenhuisen, for initiatives aimed at improving public services nationally.
With the 2026 local government elections approaching, the DA says its focus will be on growing support “town by town and city by city” in order to win and govern more municipalities. Whitfield concluded by pledging that the party would continue fighting for growth, jobs and safer communities, insisting that the Eastern Cape has the talent and potential to succeed if municipalities are properly managed and corruption is tackled.
