MISLEADING
Political claims about South African metro spending - from both governing and opposition parties - often cherry-pick data, compare incomparable metrics, or use outdated figures. Africa Check found that claims about Cape Town infrastructure spending from President Ramaphosa omitted key context. Similarly, opposition claims about ANC-run metros sometimes conflated different budget categories. Actual municipal finances require careful, non-partisan analysis.
Municipal spending became a political battleground in 2025, with claims and counter-claims from ANC and DA politicians about metro budgets. Africa Check examined several high-profile claims and found significant issues with both sides' characterizations. National Treasury and Auditor-General data show a more complex picture than political soundbites suggest. Infrastructure backlogs, revenue challenges, and service delivery issues affect metros across party lines.
Claims About Cape Town
President Ramaphosa claimed Cape Town had "not built new infrastructure" in certain areas. Africa Check found this was misleading - infrastructure spending had occurred, though at disputed levels [1].
The DA responded with counter-claims that also required context about what counts as "infrastructure" [12].
Claims About ANC Metros
Opposition claims about financial mismanagement in ANC-run metros had some factual basis but often conflated different types of problems [7].
Auditor-General reports show governance issues in metros across party lines [6].
The Actual Data
National Treasury data shows capital spending varies significantly by metro, with differences partly explained by population, geography, and existing infrastructure [2].
Per capita comparisons require careful methodology that political claims often ignore [14].
Conclusion
Claims about South African metro spending from political figures on all sides contain significant misleading elements. The actual financial data, while showing real differences between metros, does not support the simplified narratives used in political debate. Voters deserve accurate, contextual information about municipal performance.