By Akani Nkuna
If elected Johannesburg mayor, Herman Mashaba said he would order mandatory lifestyle audits for senior officials and political office bearers, blacklist corrupt contractors and publish major tender contracts for public scrutiny.
ActionSA on Saturday named party president Mashaba as its mayoral candidate for Johannesburg ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
Mashaba, who previously served as a Democratic Alliance Johannesburg mayor from August 2016 to November 2019, told supporters his return was aimed at resuming unfinished work in a city he said was being damaged by crime, corruption and mismanagement.
ActionSA made the announcement at Orlando Community Hall in Soweto, where senior party officials endorsed Mashaba. The party also launched its local election manifesto campaign, dubbed Operation Fix Johannesburg.
“The inner city is overrun by criminal syndicates. There is persistent corruption, blatant incompetence, and failed politicians who care only about their selfish interests, not the lives of our residents. We must all reject the idea that Johannesburg cannot be fixed; this city is not broken beyond repair,” Mashaba said.
Mashaba said his administration would also prioritise service delivery spending and stricter enforcement of bylaws in the inner city, adding that growing lawlessness was deterring investment.
“Our third priority is to restore law and order. Hijacked buildings, cable theft, illegal connections, drug syndicates and organised criminal networks are undermining the future of our city, our children and our communities,” Mashaba said.
“Undocumented illegal foreign nationals who operate outside our laws will not be welcomed in the city we live in. Lawlessness drives away investment and destroys dignity.”
ActionSA Tshwane Executive Mayor Nasiphi Moya used the party’s leadership in the City of Tshwane as evidence that it could govern major metros.
She said Johannesburg needed experienced leadership to tackle inner-city decay, water shortages, and weakening investor confidence.
“The city needs leadership that understands municipal finances, that understands audit outcomes, leadership that understands how to rebuild provincial systems. Indeed, there has not been [such] a mayor here since 2019. We have seen that leadership in Ntate Mashaba,” Moya said.
“We have seen what happens in Johannesburg when it is governed with conviction and courage. We have seen what happens when public money is protected and accountability is enforced. Long gone are those days when the budget is discussed at some cigar lounge,” she said.
ActionSA deputy president Mbahare Kekana also used the event to renew the party’s call for independent candidates and “like-minded” political parties to unite under the Green Umbrella project ahead of the 2026 vote.
The project is ActionSA’s recruitment and merger drive to bring smaller and community-based parties and movements under one banner.
“I am making this call to all political parties, to an independent candidate out there, we are calling upon you to come forward so that we can unite under the big Green Umbrella. My office is waiting for you, I am waiting for you, and we are waiting for you as ActionSA,” said Kekana.
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