A Declaration of War on Broken Municipalities

These remarks were delivered today in Johannesburg by ActionSA President and Joburg Mayoral Candidate Herman Mashaba at the launch of ActionSA’s 2026 Local Government Elections Manifesto.

Fellow Patriots,

Seven months ago, I launched my campaign to finish what I started as Mayor of Johannesburg, and to fix the city that we all love.

I launched that campaign with a declaration that I was declaring war.

A war to fix Johannesburg.

A war against collapse.

A war against lawlessness.

A war against incompetence.

And a war against corruption.

But what pains me most is that the story of Johannesburg is not unique.

Across South Africa, residents are witnessing their municipalities collapse around them.

They are watching their roads deteriorate, their water and electricity supply become increasingly unreliable, their communities become less safe and the basic services they depend on disappear.

This is not just a Johannesburg problem.

It is a South African problem.

But you know what? Like millions of South Africans living in communities that are being failed by their municipalities, I am just gatvol!

South Africans are gatvol of excuses.

Gatvol of paying for government that does not work.

Gatvol of politicians who make promises at election time and disappear afterwards.

And that is why today, on behalf of ActionSA, I want to make another declaration:

ActionSA is declaring war on the collapse of local government in South Africa.

We are declaring war on broken municipalities.

And we are declaring war on a culture of excuses, corruption and incompetence that has left millions of South Africans paying more and getting less.

But declaring war without a plan to win it would be madness.

That is why today is so important.

Because today, ActionSA is putting forward our plan to fix broken municipalities from Limpopo to the Western Cape and build a country where local government works for every community.

ActionSA understand the frustration that is growing across South Africa.

After decades of broken promises, failing services and municipalities that simply do not work, it is understandable that so many people have started to believe that local government cannot be fixed.

But I am here to tell you: it can be fixed.

How do we know?

Because we have seen it happen.

ActionSA is home to proven leaders who have demonstrated how to turn around broken municipalities and shown what is possible when local government is run properly.

We are not asking South Africans to believe in a theory.

In fact, ActionSA is asking you to believe in the real results of the action our leaders have taken to get the basics right and make local government work for the people it serves.

We are putting forward a plan built on experience, proven leadership and a track record of delivery.

This morning, you have heard from ActionSA’s mayoral candidates and leaders from across South Africa, each taking you through a different part of our plan to fix broken municipalities across the country.

You heard medical doctors speak about healthcare.

You heard chartered accountants speak about responsible financial management.

You heard successful businesspeople speak about growing local economies and creating jobs.

You heard community activists speak about restoring dignity to the communities they know and serve.

You heard crime fighters speak about making our communities safer.

You heard South Africa’s favourite mayor tell you the story of how she is turning around our nation’s capital city.

Together, they have set out what we will do, how we will do it, and what South Africans can expect from ActionSA when we are given the opportunity to govern.

But I want to bring all of this together.

What ActionSA is offering South Africans in this local election is simple:

First: A Municipality That Fixes What Matters Most.

We want to ensure that municipalities fulfil their responsibility to fix what matters most by delivering the basic services we all rely on.

Residents should be able to open a tap and get clean water, switch on a light and have electricity, travel on maintained roads, live without sewage running through their communities and know that their refuse will be collected.

Second: A municipality that respects your money.

A municipality cannot deliver reliable services if it cannot manage its finances properly.

That is why ActionSA will restore financial discipline, grow municipal revenue bases and ensure that public money is spent on the priorities of residents.

Every rand spent by a municipality belongs to the people who fund it. Municipal spending must therefore deliver real value to the communities it serves.

That means adopting credible, fully funded budgets, cutting wasteful spending, setting fair and sustainable rates and tariffs, implementing credible financial recovery plans, and improving metering and billing systems so that residents are charged accurately for the services they receive.

Third: A professional government that works for you.

ActionSA will build municipalities where people are appointed because they can do the job, given the tools to do it and held accountable for their performance.

What you can expect in an ActionSA-governed municipality is simple.

Appointments will be based on qualifications, competence, experience and merit.

Officials will be expected to meet clear performance standards and will be held accountable when they fail to deliver.

And we are taking the same approach to political leadership.

The standards we expect from municipal officials must also apply to the politicians who lead them.

Political offices will only have the staff reasonably required to support elected office-bearers and they must never become employment schemes for political activists.

Fourth: A government without corruption.

Every rand stolen through fraud, inflated contracts or dishonest officials is a rand that cannot be spent fixing roads, maintaining water infrastructure or delivering the services people depend on.

We will build municipal systems that make corruption harder to commit, easier to detect and impossible to hide.

Where we govern, we will make tenders and contracts more transparent. We will investigate any suspicious conduct and will protect whistle-blowers who have the courage to speak out.

And when corruption is proven, there will be harsh consequences!

And we will not stop at exposing corruption. Where residents’ money has been stolen, we will fight to recover it.

Because residents’ money belongs to residents. And those who dare to steal from residents in municipalities we govern will see hell rain down on them!

I heard Xolani say that the criminal syndicates must run from Ekurhuleni when he becomes Mayor.

Well, I have a message for the crooks stealing from residents in municipalities across this country: RUN!

Fifth: Safe communities where the rule of law applies.

South Africans are gatvol of being afraid in their own communities.

So let me be clear about what ActionSA will do.

We will put more law-enforcement officers on our streets, properly trained, properly equipped and deployed where they are needed most.

We will take back our public spaces from criminals, gangs and those who believe they can operate above the law.

We will go after the theft of municipal infrastructure, illegal connections, hijacked buildings and the criminal syndicates that profit from them.

And we will use every lawful power available to municipalities to deal with illegal immigration, working with Home Affairs and SAPS where national enforcement powers are required.

We will strengthen municipal courts so that by-laws are actually enforced and cases do not simply disappear.

Because residents should not have to accept that crime, disorder and lawlessness are just part of living in South Africa.

Sixth: Municipalities where businesses can flourish and jobs can grow.

If we want jobs to grow, we need municipalities that make it easier to do business, not harder.

Too many businesses are held back by red tape, slow approvals, unreliable services and municipal officials who treat investment like a problem.

We will be focused on rolling out the red carpet, not red tape.

We will cut unnecessary red tape and set clear turnaround times for municipal approvals so that businesses know what to expect.

We will make it easier for entrepreneurs and SMMEs to access municipal opportunities and compete fairly for work.

We will make sure young people are connected to skills, work opportunities and businesses that can give them a pathway into the economy.

And we will rebuild our CBDs and town centres by tackling derelict and hijacked buildings, improving safety, cleaning our streets and restoring reliable services.

Because when businesses invest, economies grow.

And when local economies grow, jobs grow.

Where ActionSA governs, we will make our municipalities partners in creating jobs, not obstacles standing in the way.

Seventh: Municipalities that leave no community behind.

A municipality cannot call itself successful while entire communities are left behind.

It cannot be acceptable that where you live determines the quality of the services you receive, the transport you have access to, the opportunities available to you or whether you can live with dignity.

ActionSA will build one municipality for all.

That means investing in communities that have been neglected for far too long.

It means upgrading informal settlements where it is safe to do so, speeding up the delivery of title deeds and using municipal land to create more opportunities for affordable housing.

It means public transport that connects people to jobs, schools and healthcare.

It means properly maintained libraries, parks, sports facilities and community spaces where our children can learn, play and grow.

And it means making sure that residents who need help most are not forgotten.

Your postcode should never determine your future.

Eighth: Clean, healthy and resilient communities.

A clean and well-maintained community is not a luxury. It is a basic responsibility of local government.

ActionSA will make sure municipalities take that responsibility seriously.

We will tackle illegal dumping, enforce waste by-laws and make sure neglected areas are cleaned and maintained.

We will invest in parks, public spaces and greener communities that people can be proud of.

We will expand recycling and work with waste pickers, businesses and communities to reduce the amount of waste going to landfill.

And we will make our municipalities better prepared for floods, droughts, extreme weather and other disasters that threaten our communities.

We want clean streets. We want safe and well-maintained public spaces. We want healthier communities. And we want municipalities that are prepared for the future.

We will tackle illegal dumping and pollution, maintain public spaces and build cleaner, healthier communities that are better prepared for environmental and climate pressures.

Ninth: Governing together when voters decide it.

South Africa is entering an era where coalition government will become a reality in more and more municipalities.

When voters do not give one party a majority, political parties have a responsibility to find a way to govern together and make government work.

For ActionSA, the principle is simple.

The voters decide first. The programme comes second. Political positions come last.

We will not enter into pre-election coalitions. We will contest elections on our own values, policies and record and ask South Africans for their support.

We will not compromise our principles simply to get into office.

Any coalition we enter must have a clear programme of government, clear responsibilities and clear accountability.

Because coalition government cannot be about politicians dividing up positions while residents are left waiting for services.

It must be about putting the work of government first.

Where ActionSA governs in coalition, our priority will be simple: make government work and deliver for residents.

And finally:

What you can expect from an ActionSA councillor.

When you elect an ActionSA councillor, you should expect someone who is present, accessible and accountable.

Our councillors will scrutinise how your money is spent, expose corruption, challenge poor service delivery and report back to the communities they represent.

Whether we are in government, in coalition or in opposition, our councillors will work for you.

Being elected is not a reward but it is a responsibility.

And we will hold our own councillors to the same standards we demand from everyone else.

South Africans, this is our plan of action to win the war against broken municipalities.

And the people we are deploying to fight this war are not career politicians chasing positions.

They are doctors, accountants, businesspeople, community leaders and professionals who have spent their lives solving problems and serving communities, as well as proven leaders with real track records of delivery.

Now, they are ready to roll up their sleeves and do the hard work.

Because ActionSA does not come to local government with theory.

Our approach has been shaped by governing municipalities, working in complex coalitions and serving communities in both government and opposition.

We know turning around a broken municipality is not easy. There are no shortcuts. It takes discipline, competent leadership, difficult decisions and a laser focus on the basics.

We will use every power available to municipalities to fix what matters most. And where another sphere of government must act, we will work with it rather than use divided responsibilities as an excuse for inaction.

We will not pretend that every problem can be fixed overnight.

But we can start fixing what is broken.

We can restore services.

We can rebuild trust.

We can make local government work again.

South Africans deserve municipalities that deliver.

ActionSA is ready to do the work.

And so, to every gatvol South African tired of excuses:

Let us fix it!

ActionSA Policy: Supports the decentralization of the police force.