JOHANNESBURG, Gauteng — ActionSA president Herman Mashaba has officially launched the party’s 2026 Local Government Elections manifesto, placing a rigorous crackdown on crime, law enforcement, and urban decay at the forefront of his campaign for the Johannesburg mayoral seat.
Speaking to the media following the manifesto launch, Mashaba outlined a comprehensive strategy to tackle criminal syndicates, infrastructure theft, hijacked buildings, and illegal utility connections. The party’s platform is heavily anchored on restoring law and order, which Mashaba argues is the foundational prerequisite for any meaningful urban regeneration.
A Hardline Approach to Crime and Immigration
To achieve its law enforcement goals, ActionSA is pledging to significantly expand the police presence on the streets. Mashaba committed to adding a minimum of 2,500 additional police officers over a five-year period in Johannesburg. This expansion includes the deployment of specialized units, such as K9 squads to target drug dealers and dedicated task teams to reclaim hijacked buildings.
Furthermore, the party intends to collaborate closely with the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Department of Home Affairs to enforce a strict stance on illegal immigration. Mashaba reiterated his uncompromising position on undocumented foreign nationals, stating that in municipalities where ActionSA governs or co-governs, illegal immigrants will not be welcome.
“If Home Affairs wants to be embarrassed to South Africans and expose what they’re doing, let Herman Mashaba be the mayor of the city of Johannesburg,” Mashaba stated, promising daily reports on the shutting down of illegal operations and the deportation of undocumented individuals.
Reflections on Past Governance and Coalition Tensions
Mashaba also used the platform to defend his previous tenure as Johannesburg mayor, insisting he did “absolutely nothing wrong” during his first term. He attributed his eventual removal to deep value differences with his former party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), specifically citing his focus on social justice, the insourcing of essential services, and his inner-city rejuvenation plans that favored long-term city leases over private sector sales.
Looking ahead to the 2026 Local Government Elections, Mashaba made his coalition preferences clear, drawing a strict line in the sand regarding the DA’s current leadership. He stated that ActionSA would find it “really very difficult” to accept being led by Helen Zille in a coalition, citing her “arrogance” and “self-imposed superior complex.” Mashaba noted that he would rather see ActionSA on the opposition benches than serve in a coalition led by Zille, whom he holds responsible for the motion of no confidence that collapsed his previous government.
Three Non-Negotiable Coalition Conditions
Despite his reservations about specific leaders, Mashaba acknowledged the reality of coalition governance in South Africa. However, he outlined three non-negotiable conditions for any future coalition agreements involving ActionSA:
- Zero Tolerance for Corruption: Coalition partners must agree that no stolen public money will be covered up. “Herman Mashaba will never cover for you,” he emphasized.
- Universal Service Delivery: Political parties must provide constitutional services to all communities, not just to those who voted for them.
- Strict Immigration Enforcement: Undocumented foreign nationals must be deported in municipalities where ActionSA holds executive power.
Tshwane Governance and Dismissing Critics
Mashaba also defended ActionSA’s recent governance record in the City of Tshwane. He praised the current ANC-led administration under Mayor Dr. Nasiphi Moya, noting that Moya has successfully moved the city from unfunded to funded budgets, substantially reduced Eskom-related debt, and improved cash reserves. Mashaba credited ActionSA’s strategic decision to remove former DA Mayor Cilliers Brink
and support the ANC to prevent the capital from falling into administration.
When pressed on allegations raised by Brink regarding R176 million in irregular expenditure that the governing coalition allegedly wants to declare irrecoverable, Mashaba fiercely dismissed the claims. He suggested that Brink needs “psychiatric treatment” and accused her of operating on gossip and personal grievances following her removal from office.
National Government Criticism and Election Strategy
Beyond municipal boundaries, Mashaba directed heavy criticism at the national Government of National Unity (GNU), the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), and the judiciary, accusing them of being compromised by criminal syndicates. He advocated for metropolitan areas like Johannesburg to be granted their own prosecutorial authority and prison facilities to bypass what he described as a corrupt national system that releases arrested criminals within days.
He also took aim at the current President, contrasting the struggles of unemployed youth with allegations of the President keeping cash under mattresses and sofas, calling it a profound moral failure.
Despite a noticeable drop in the party’s vote share between the 2021 municipal elections—where they garnered nearly half a million votes—and the 2024 national elections, Mashaba remains optimistic. He attributed the 2024 decline to voter punishment over ActionSA’s previous “moonshot pact” association with the DA, which drove black voters toward the uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP).
Reasserting ActionSA’s total independence, Mashaba announced that the party will contest 78 municipalities in the upcoming 2026 Local Government Elections, a massive expansion from the six municipalities they contested in 2021.
“We are making it really very clear. I want South Africans to know that ActionSA is a completely, totally independent political organization,” Mashaba concluded, adding that the party is willing to work with anyone—except Helen Zille—to fix the country’s municipalities.
