FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
26 FEBRUARY 2026
The African National Congress (ANC) in the Eastern Cape warmly welcomes the 2026 State of the Province Address (SOPA) delivered by Premier Lubabalo Oscar Mabuyane.
The 2026 SOPA is a bold and decisive annual roadmap that harmonizes and aligns with the ANC’s national conference resolutions, party manifesto, and PEC Lekgotla outcomes, underscoring the party’s resolute commitment to the national democratic revolution. It is a testament to the ANC’s unwavering commitment to socio-economic development, governance reform, and enhanced service delivery.
The ANC NEC has declared 2026 as a year of decisive action to fix local government and transform the economy. We commend Premier Mabuyane for a successful delivery of the SOPA, which reflects the ANC’s vision for a better life for all and is in line with this year’s theme. The Premier’s address highlighted the province’s progress in education, with an 84% pass rate in the National Senior Certificate examinations, and the expansion of Early Childhood Development Programmes. The ANC welcomes the focus on skills development, particularly in critical areas such as engineering, medicine, and information technology.
We congratulate the Speaker of the Legislature, Comrade Helen Sauls-August, for her leadership and dignified opening of the provincial legislature. We urge all institutions and deployees to be on the ground to implement the SOPA commitments and ensure that the people of the Eastern Cape benefit from the province’s growth and development. The SOPA’s focus on education, health, agriculture, economic growth, and job creation as apex priorities is in line with the ANC’s vision for a better life for all. Notably, the SOPA commitment to fix bulk irrigation infrastructure at Ncora, Qamata, Shiloh, and Keiskammahoek Irrigation schemes will begin this year, made possible by the R871 million investment by the Department of Water Affairs.
The ANC welcomes the Premier’s announcement on the repurposing of the Centre for Investment and Marketing in the Eastern Cape as a dedicated and resourced Training and Skills Development Agency. This initiative will anchor learnerships, apprenticeships, internships, and enterprise support to ensure that training and skills development translate into work experience, income, and sustainable livelihoods for our young people. We also welcome the establishment of the Young Businesses in Africa Seed Ecosystem Weaving Initiative, which will create a network of support that expands access to mentorship, product development, markets, finance, and visibility of regional role players. The youth of our province will benefit from these initiatives, and we suggest that the training and skills development agency be located in the office of the Premier for more accountability.
The SOPA’s emphasis on infrastructure development, including the construction of new schools, roads, and healthcare facilities, is a significant step towards addressing the province’s infrastructure backlogs. In 2026, the construction of 57 more schools will be completed for handover to communities, including Lupindo in Alfred Nzo, David Livingstone in Nelson Mandela Metro, Upper Corana in OR Tambo, Jongulwandle in Amathole, and Khanyisa Special School in Chris Hani. The ANC welcomes the progress made in the implementation of the Small-Town Revitalisation Programme, which has improved municipal infrastructure and attracted retail sector investments in towns such as Alice, Libode, and Port St Johns.
The ANC acknowledges that the province faces significant challenges, including poverty, unemployment, and inequality. We appreciate the Premier’s candid acknowledgement of these challenges and his commitment to addressing them through the SOPA’s key priorities, which include reducing poverty and tackling the high cost of living, driving inclusive growth and job creation, building a capable, ethical and developmental state, and social compacting to accelerate change. For instance, the SOPA highlighted that capacitating our healthcare facilities with highly trained healthcare workers remains an ongoing commitment of the ANC-led government. Between April 2025 and January 2026, our government appointed 534 doctors and 993 nurses to care for patients in our healthcare facilities. Furthermore, our government is committed to completing upgrades at Cecilia Makiwane and Dora Nginza Hospitals to accommodate Cerebral Palsy Centres of Excellence with specialised clinical, therapeutic, and family support spaces in 2026.
The ANC notes the Premier’s bold commitment to addressing the challenges of unemployment, poverty, and inequality. The SOPA’s focus on economic growth, job creation, and social protection is a step in the right direction. We welcome the initiatives aimed at supporting Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and cooperatives, including the allocation of R1 billion for the Comprehensive Agricultural Support Programme, which is expected to create thousands of job opportunities.
The ANC commends the Premier for highlighting the importance of agriculture, tourism, and the blue economy in driving economic growth and job creation. The province’s efforts to promote eco-tourism, cultural tourism, and adventure tourism are commendable, and we encourage the continued development of these sectors. Notably, the Eastern Cape achieved 2.2 million tourists in the last quarter of 2025, with over 1.2 million recorded for the month of December alone. This is complemented by a steady international tourist traffic, with 350,000 international travellers.
The SOPA’s emphasis on building a capable, ethical, and developmental state is a key priority for the ANC. We welcome the Premier’s commitment to improving governance, addressing corruption, and ensuring that the people of the Eastern Cape benefit from the province’s resources. The province has made significant progress in this regard, with 6 out of 10 government departments receiving clean audits and majority of our entities such as ECSECC receiving clean audits consecutively over the years.
The African National Congress in the Eastern Cape is confident that the implementation of the SOPA commitments will bring about significant change and bring hope and prosperity to the people of the Eastern Cape. We call on all progressive forces in society, alliance partners, key stakeholders such as organised labour, private sector, the academia, traditional leadership and NGOs to collaborate with government to forge a better future for our province, where every citizen has unfettered access to quality education, clean drinking water, healthcare and economic opportunities. Let us soldier on forward with determination and purpose, knowing that cooperatively, we can achieve a united, democratic, non-racial, non-sexist, and prosperous Eastern Cape.
Statement issued by the ANC Eastern Cape Province
Provincial Spokesperson Comrade Yanga Zicina +27 (78) 640-2752
Media Enquires
Provincial Head of Communications Comrade Gift Nqondi
+27 (84) 843-9706/27849519924
