President Cyril Ramaphosa has used a football analogy involving Bafana Bafana to emphasise the importance of appointing competent people to leadership positions in South African municipalities.

Speaking about the need for capable leadership in local government, Ramaphosa suggested that selecting the wrong person for a role could undermine an entire team's chances of success.

He asked the audience to imagine what would happen if the Bafana Bafana coach appointed him as a player, arguing that people would immediately expect the team to lose.

The comparison was intended to highlight the importance of matching people’s abilities to the responsibilities they are expected to perform, particularly in municipal administration, where leadership decisions can directly affect residents.

Municipalities are responsible for delivering essential services, including water, sanitation, electricity and refuse removal. Their ability to fulfil these responsibilities often depends on the competence of officials, the effectiveness of management and the quality of decisions made by those in charge.

Ramaphosa’s remarks come amid continued concerns about service delivery and governance in various municipalities across the country. Residents have repeatedly raised issues involving unreliable services, infrastructure challenges and the management of public resources.

His football comparison suggests that appointing people without the necessary skills or experience can place an organisation at a disadvantage before it even begins its work.

Just as a football coach must select players who can perform their assigned roles, municipal leadership must ensure that people entrusted with public responsibilities have the expertise needed to deliver results.

The President’s remarks also draw attention to the broader question of accountability in local government, where poor decisions can have consequences for communities that depend on municipal services every day.

While the analogy was delivered through football, its central message concerned the importance of competence when making appointments.

For Ramaphosa, improving municipal performance requires more than promises. It also depends on ensuring that the right people are placed in positions where their skills can make a meaningful difference to service delivery and the lives of ordinary South Africans.

Source

https://x.com/SABCNews/status/2113270601355841794