The 2026 State of the Province Address reflects what many residents already feel that government is
constantly reacting to problems that could, and should, have been prevented.
Every year we hear about new interventions. Every year the numbers grow bigger. But the same
problems keep coming back: unstable water supply, crumbling infrastructure, persistent crime and
struggling municipalities.
At some point, we have to move beyond the announcements and ask a simple question: why are we
repeatedly fixing crises that were allowed to develop in the first place?
Take water, for example. If municipalities had consistently directed at least 8% of their budgets to
infrastructure maintenance, as Treasury requires, we would not be facing recurring breakdowns. If
preventative maintenance had been treated as a priority instead of an afterthought, we wouldn’t need
emergency “war rooms” every summer.
The reality is that Gauteng does not have a shortage of speeches and recurring promises. It has a
shortage of maintenance and proper asset management.
When Herman Mashaba served as Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, more than 200 kilometres of
water pipes and 160 kilometres of sewer pipes were replaced in just three years. That didn’t happen
by accident. It happened because maintenance was prioritised and budgets were managed with
discipline.
That is what governance looks like – steady, consistent execution. Not crisis meetings. Not political
finger-pointing.
South Africa is a constitutional democracy. The rule of law must apply without fail. Migration must be
legal, properly documented and well managed. When systems fail, communities feel the pressure and
public services carry the strain.
When border management and documentation systems fail, provinces like Gauteng absorb the
pressure. Hospitals become overcrowded. Schools are stretched. Housing backlogs grow. Policing is
strained. Taxpayers carry the cost.
ActionSA supports legal, properly managed migration. But governance failures cannot continue to
place unsustainable pressure on communities that are already under strain.
On crime, statistics may fluctuate, but the lived reality for many residents and businesses remains
difficult. Cable theft continues. Infrastructure is vandalised. Hijacked buildings remain a problem.
Organised syndicates operate with confidence. Businesses face rising security costs.
Behind every statistic is a family that feels unsafe in its own neighbourhood.
During Mashaba’s tenure, a properly resourced anti-corruption unit led to more than 900 corruption-
related arrests. Hijacked buildings were identified and reclaimed. Infrastructure protection was treated
as a serious priority. That was not rhetoric. It was policy backed by action.
Law enforcement must be consistent and institutional, not seasonal or campaign-driven. Arrests matter.
But convictions are what restore confidence and change behaviour.
This election year, residents deserve clarity about what we would do differently.
First, fix the basics. Ring-fence maintenance budgets. Publish pipe replacement targets. Make leak
repair turnaround times public. Move from reactive governance to preventative governance.
Second, tackle corruption at its root. Collapse unnecessary municipal entities that create procurement
loopholes. Build internal technical capacity. Make major tenders transparent and open to public
scrutiny.
Third, restore law and order. Zero tolerance for hijacked buildings and illegal connections. Strengthen
municipal enforcement. Support lawful immigration management grounded in constitutional principles.
Fourth, stabilise municipal finances. Conduct proper financial health audits. Cut non-core spending.
Redirect funds to frontline services as was done previously when over R2 billion was shifted into
infrastructure investment in Johannesburg through disciplined budgeting reforms.
Fifth, create certainty for business. Business does not need slogans. It needs reliable electricity, stable
water, safe industrial zones and predictable regulation. When the basics work, investment follows.
The difference between governance by crisis and governance by discipline is straightforward. One
waits for collapse and reacts. The other prevents collapse through planning and accountability. One
makes announcements. The other delivers measurable results.
Gauteng cannot afford another term defined by emergency responses.
It needs structural reform.
It needs consistent performance.
It needs systems that work every single day – not only when there is public pressure.
Gauteng deserves a government that prevents collapse instead of managing it.
ActionSA has shown that disciplined leadership, financial control and rule-based governance can
stabilise cities.
In 2026, residents will choose whether crisis becomes normal — or whether discipline returns to
government.
We are ready to govern differently. And we are ready to fix Gauteng.
Gauteng Cannot Afford Governance by Crisis
The 2026 State of the Province Address reflects what many residents already feel that government is
constantly reacting to problems that could, and should, have been prevented.
Every year we hear about new interventions. Every year the numbers grow bigger. But the same
problems keep coming back: unstable water supply, crumbling infrastructure, persistent crime and
struggling municipalities.
At some point, we have to move beyond the announcements and ask a simple question: why are we
repeatedly fixing crises that were allowed to develop in the first place?
Take water, for example. If municipalities had consistently directed at least 8% of their budgets to
infrastructure maintenance, as Treasury requires, we would not be facing recurring breakdowns. If
preventative maintenance had been treated as a priority instead of an afterthought, we wouldn’t need
emergency “war rooms” every summer.
The reality is that Gauteng does not have a shortage of speeches and recurring promises. It has a
shortage of maintenance and proper asset management.
When Herman Mashaba served as Mayor of the City of Johannesburg, more than 200 kilometres of
water pipes and 160 kilometres of sewer pipes were replaced in just three years. That didn’t happen
by accident. It happened because maintenance was prioritised and budgets were managed with
discipline.
That is what governance looks like – steady, consistent execution. Not crisis meetings. Not political
finger-pointing.
South Africa is a constitutional democracy. The rule of law must apply without fail. Migration must be
legal, properly documented and well managed. When systems fail, communities feel the pressure and
public services carry the strain.
When border management and documentation systems fail, provinces like Gauteng absorb the
pressure. Hospitals become overcrowded. Schools are stretched. Housing backlogs grow. Policing is
strained. Taxpayers carry the cost.
ActionSA supports legal, properly managed migration. But governance failures cannot continue to
place unsustainable pressure on communities that are already under strain.
On crime, statistics may fluctuate, but the lived reality for many residents and businesses remains
difficult. Cable theft continues. Infrastructure is vandalised. Hijacked buildings remain a problem.
Organised syndicates operate with confidence. Businesses face rising security costs.
Behind every statistic is a family that feels unsafe in its own neighbourhood.
During Mashaba’s tenure, a properly resourced anti-corruption unit led to more than 900 corruption-
related arrests. Hijacked buildings were identified and reclaimed. Infrastructure protection was treated
as a serious priority. That was not rhetoric. It was policy backed by action.
Law enforcement must be consistent and institutional, not seasonal or campaign-driven. Arrests matter.
But convictions are what restore confidence and change behaviour.
This election year, residents deserve clarity about what we would do differently.
First, fix the basics. Ring-fence maintenance budgets. Publish pipe replacement targets. Make leak
repair turnaround times public. Move from reactive governance to preventative governance.
Second, tackle corruption at its root. Collapse unnecessary municipal entities that create procurement
loopholes. Build internal technical capacity. Make major tenders transparent and open to public
scrutiny.
Third, restore law and order. Zero tolerance for hijacked buildings and illegal connections. Strengthen
municipal enforcement. Support lawful immigration management grounded in constitutional principles.
Fourth, stabilise municipal finances. Conduct proper financial health audits. Cut non-core spending.
Redirect funds to frontline services as was done previously when over R2 billion was shifted into
infrastructure investment in Johannesburg through disciplined budgeting reforms.
Fifth, create certainty for business. Business does not need slogans. It needs reliable electricity, stable
water, safe industrial zones and predictable regulation. When the basics work, investment follows.
The difference between governance by crisis and governance by discipline is straightforward. One
waits for collapse and reacts. The other prevents collapse through planning and accountability. One
makes announcements. The other delivers measurable results.
Gauteng cannot afford another term defined by emergency responses.
It needs structural reform.
It needs consistent performance.
It needs systems that work every single day – not only when there is public pressure.
Gauteng deserves a government that prevents collapse instead of managing it.
ActionSA has shown that disciplined leadership, financial control and rule-based governance can
stabilise cities.
In 2026, residents will choose whether crisis becomes normal — or whether discipline returns to
government.
We are ready to govern differently. And we are ready to fix Gauteng.