By Thapelo Molefe
ActionSA has announced former MK party Mpumalanga convenor Mary Phadi as its mayoral candidate for the Nkangala District Municipality, positioning her at the forefront of the party’s campaign in Mpumalanga ahead of the upcoming local government elections.
The announcement was made during a political engagement held in eNkangala on Saturday, where the party also welcomed new members from various political formations as part of its efforts to grow its presence across Mpumalanga.
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Phadi, the former organiser of the MK Party in Mpumalanga, was described by Action SA as a grounded organiser with a strong record in community activism, used her address to paint a bleak picture of governance in the district, saying residents are facing ongoing service delivery failures.
“Nkangala is in crisis,” Phadi said.
“Residents open their taps, and nothing comes out. Roads are collapsing. Electricity fails without warning. Sewage flows through streets. Young people sit without jobs, without opportunity, without hope.”
She said the problems facing the district were not new, pointing to repeated warnings by the Auditor-General over the past five years about failing municipalities.
“The same audit failures. The same governance collapse. The same service delivery failures. Nothing has changed,” she said.
Phadi attributed the situation to “corruption, incompetence, and a government that has stopped caring,” citing challenges across several local municipalities, including Emalahleni, Steve Tshwete, Dr JS Moroka, and Thembisile Hani.
“This is not mismanagement. This is a collapse,” she said.
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Outlining her plan for the district, Phadi said ActionSA would prioritise fixing service delivery, improving infrastructure management, and appointing qualified technical professionals.
“We will restore water, electricity, roads, and sanitation,” she said.
“No community should live without basic services.”
She also committed to tackling inequality by improving services in informal settlements, accelerating housing delivery, and ensuring transparency in municipal spending.
On economic development, Phadi said the party would focus on attracting investment, cutting red tape, and supporting small businesses to create jobs, particularly for young people.
“We will unlock Nkangala’s economic potential and ensure infrastructure projects create jobs for local people,” she said.
Nkangala is one of the areas hollowed out by South Africa’s de-industrialisation, now characterised by abandoned factories, including ones owned by the Chinese.
Phadi further pledged a zero-tolerance approach to corruption, including the establishment of independent forensic units, lifestyle audits, and the blacklisting of corrupt contractors.
“Corruption is not a side issue, it is the reason services are failing,” she said.
She added that stabilising municipal finances would be key to restoring service delivery, with plans to improve revenue collection, implement stricter financial controls and eliminate wasteful expenditure.
“The choice in 2026 is simple: more of the same or real change,” Phadi said.
The party said it is accelerating its provincial campaign, with plans to launch dozens of new branches across Mpumalanga in the coming months as it prepares for the elections.
