LIMPOPO – Claims about service delivery, employment, housing and the cost of electricity are central to the ANC and DA campaigns ahead of South Africa’s local government elections. But how well do the parties’ claims stand up to the available evidence?

Fact-checking organisation Africa Check has examined nine claims in the ANC’s election manifesto and seven in the DA’s, assessing their accuracy against official statistics and other credible sources.

The findings show that while most claims were supported by evidence, some required important context, while others could not be fully substantiated.

ANC: claims on water, housing and jobs examined

In its report, published on October 15, Africa Check assessed nine claims made by the ANC about its record on service delivery and economic opportunities.

Six claims were found to be correct, two were unproven and one was mostly correct.

Among the claims supported by the evidence was the ANC’s statement that 87.4% of South African households had access to piped or tap water. Statistics South Africa’s 2025 General Household Survey recorded the same figure.

However, Africa Check noted that access to water infrastructure does not necessarily mean households receive a reliable supply. The survey found that 56.8% of households had experienced water interruptions in 2025.

The party’s claim that improved sanitation reached 84% of households was also supported by the data. Limpopo, however, was among the provinces with lower access, with 64.8% of households having access to improved sanitation.

Housing delivery was another area where the evidence raised questions.

The ANC claimed that 451 000 housing opportunities had been delivered over five years. However, figures in the Department of Human Settlements’ annual reports showed that 357 772 state-subsidised houses and serviced sites had been delivered between 2020/21 and 2024/25.

Africa Check classified the 451 000 figure as unproven, noting that the available public records did not clearly confirm the party’s claim.

The organisation also found that the ANC’s claim about delivering more than one million title deeds since the advent of democracy could not be verified using the available figures.

On employment, the party’s claim that the Presidential Employment Stimulus had created more than 2.5 million work and livelihood opportunities was supported by Presidency figures. However, Africa Check highlighted that many of these opportunities were temporary rather than permanent jobs.

DA: electricity, crime and employment claims checked

Africa Check published its assessment of seven DA manifesto claims on September 28. Five were found to be correct, one understated the available evidence, and another exaggerated it.

The DA’s claims focused on municipal challenges, including electricity costs, refuse collection, crime and access to free basic services.

One of the claims examined was that electricity tariffs had increased by more than 1 000% since 2007, compared with inflation of approximately 174%.

According to Eskom tariff data cited by Africa Check, electricity tariffs increased cumulatively by 1 077% between 2007/08 and 2025/26. Over the comparison period used by the DA, consumer inflation rose by 173.5%.

Africa Check found the claim to be correct.

The organisation also examined the DA’s statements on crime and employment. While most of the party’s claims were supported by the evidence, it found that the DA understated the World Bank’s estimate of the cost of crime in South Africa.

The party also overstated employment growth under Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, according to Africa Check’s assessment.

The findings illustrate why campaign claims need to be assessed against their underlying data, particularly when parties use statistics to demonstrate their performance in government.

What the findings mean for voters

The two assessments cover different policy areas, but both highlight the importance of looking beyond headline figures when evaluating political claims.

A statistic may be accurate while leaving out information that changes how it should be understood.

Africa Check has stressed that accurate information matters because voters rely on parties’ claims to assess their records and understand their proposed priorities.

South Africans are scheduled to vote in the local government election on November 4, with issues such as water, electricity, roads, municipal finances and employment featuring prominently in the campaign.

This article is based on two articles published by Africa Check. Read the full articles here: ANC manifesto claims and DA manifesto claims.