President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged registered voters to turn out in their numbers and participate in the 2026 Local Government Elections, saying citizens have a responsibility to determine the future of their municipalities and the country.

Ramaphosa and First Lady Dr Tshepo Motsepe cast their ballots at Hyde Park High School in Sandton on Wednesday, where the president arrived with his family.

It was the first time Ramaphosa voted at the Hyde Park voting station. He has traditionally cast his ballot in Chiawelo, Soweto. he told journalists that he voted there since the rule now requires one to vote where they reside.

Voting was already underway at the school, with voters turning out after the station opened at 7am.

Describing the elections as a historic moment for South Africa, Ramaphosa said the queues of people waiting to vote across the country demonstrated that democracy remained alive.

“This is a historic day in the life of our country, our beloved country, South Africa. The turnout of our people, as one looks at the TV screens, the queues that are all over the country, just makes this a very special and historic day,” he said.

“This is democracy at work, and this is what our people wanted to see, that indeed what the Freedom Charter writers said, that the people shall govern, is what we are seeing today.”

He said he was encouraged by the number of South Africans who had turned out to exercise their democratic right despite the challenges facing communities.

However, the ANC president acknowledged that local government continued to face serious problems, saying he had personally witnessed the difficulties confronting municipalities.

He said government was determined to rebuild municipal structures and ensure that the promise of a better life, as outlined in the National Development Plan, became a reality.

“I have gone around. I have seen the challenges that we face at local government level. But we as government are determined to rebuild our local government structure to ensure that promises of a better life for our people, as we articulated in our National Development Plan, will become a reality,” he said.

Ramaphosa also pointed to government’s infrastructure investment programme, saying about R1-trillion was being invested in infrastructure to drive economic growth.

He cited ongoing road construction projects and the Umzimvubu Water Project as examples of infrastructure development intended to strengthen the economy and address the country’s infrastructure needs.

His remarks come amid persistent service delivery concerns in several municipalities, including water shortages, electricity interruptions, deteriorating roads, poor sanitation and financial management challenges.

Looking ahead to the formation of new municipal councils, Ramaphosa said he was confident that incoming councillors, irrespective of their political affiliations, would demonstrate greater commitment to serving communities.

“A new crop of councillors are going to come through now, and I’m confident that from all parties they will be more committed to serving our people,” he said.

He said the inauguration of the new councils would usher in another chapter in South Africa’s democracy, which he hoped would be characterised by better governance and improved service delivery.

With voting continuing across the country, Ramaphosa urged registered voters who had not yet visited their voting stations to make use of their democratic right.

“You are a resident, you are a citizen of this country. You too have a responsibility to determine the future of our country, but also the future of our municipalities. We all have rights, but we also have responsibilities,” he said.

Speaking in his capacity as ANC president, Ramaphosa also called on party supporters to turn out in their numbers, expressing confidence that the governing party would win the elections.

He acknowledged the large number of political parties contesting the elections, saying the level of participation made the polls particularly significant.

“As they say in the classics, may the best party win. And I do believe that will be the ANC,” he said.