Herman Mashaba has officially been announced as ActionSA’s mayoral candidate for the City of Johannesburg.
The announcement was made at a party event in Orlando East, Soweto, ahead of the upcoming Local Government Elections scheduled for later this year.
Mashaba previously served as Johannesburg’s mayor after the 2016 municipal elections. He resigned in 2019 following a political fallout with then Democratic Alliance federal chair Helen Zille over disagreements on governance and coalition politics.
Positioning himself as a reform candidate, Mashaba said he is ready to continue where he left off.
“This is a fight against corruption, incompetence and lawlessness — a fight to fix the City of Johannesburg.”
He framed the campaign as action-oriented and delivery-focused:
“We are here, fellow South Africans, to declare war… and this will be a campaign of action and delivering.”
Mashaba vowed to “reclaim and fix” Johannesburg, arguing that the city needs decisive leadership:
“This city needs a fighter who knows what it takes to win.”
Political Contest Taking Shape
Mashaba is expected to face strong competition from across the political spectrum. Potential contenders include Democratic Alliance federal chair Helen Zille, Patriotic Alliance deputy leader Kenny Kunene, and ANC Johannesburg regional chair Loyiso Masuku.
The ANC has not yet formally confirmed its mayoral candidate. However, internal discussions suggest the party could field a high-profile national figure in an effort to reclaim control of South Africa’s economic hub.
Johannesburg, the country’s largest metro and economic powerhouse, has experienced years of coalition instability, service delivery challenges, infrastructure decay, and governance disputes.
Mashaba’s return signals ActionSA’s intention to position itself as a governance alternative focused on anti-corruption, service delivery, and law enforcement key issues shaping voter sentiment in the metro.
If elected, Mashaba says his administration would prioritise restoring basic services, improving inner-city safety, tackling illegal infrastructure connections, and rebuilding investor confidence.
