Cartoon of the day: 10 September 2026

With just weeks to go until the local government elections, the ANC has once again caused controversy on the campaign trail. ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe faced backlash after his recent comments on RDP housing and the child support grant amount were seen by some as emotional blackmail. Mantashe mounted a robust defence of the party’s 32 years in government, insisting that its social policies, from grants to housing and education, are about “servicing society” rather than buying votes. “We equalised social grants for everybody, irrespective of colour, and that is an ANC policy,” Mantashe told broadcaster Newzroom Afrika. “If another party takes over, it may decide to increase that grant or do away with it. But our responsibility is to serve society.” He pointed to the ANC’s record of introducing child support grants, free schooling, and housing schemes as evidence of transformation. “We gave these because we were fighting malnutrition. We granted child support grants. We introduced free education – government pays the fees. We put policies in place to equalise social class for everybody,” he said. Vote buying Critics have accused Mantashe of emotional blackmail after he told voters to appreciate what the ANC has delivered. He rejected the charge. “There’s no vote buying. When that old lady asked me what she would get, I explained on the spot – we are not buying votes; we are servicing society.” Additional reporting by Faizel Patel