Note to Editors: These remarks were delivered this morning in Alexandra by ActionSA President, Herman Mashaba, at the launch of ActionSA’s nationwide campaign focused on fixing local government in South Africa.
Good Morning Fellow South Africans,
As I stand before you today in Alexandra, communities like this one, across South Africa, continue to be left behind. Left without reliable access to basic services like clean water, electricity, refuse removal and functioning sanitation. Sadly, this is not merely a developmental failure, it is a daily violation of the basic human rights enshrined in our Constitution.
I entered politics and founded ActionSA, together with the patriots standing beside me, for the very reason that we must confront the undeniable truth that the collapse of local government is one of the greatest threats facing our democracy.
This is the very sphere of government closest to the people and yet it is where mismanagement, incompetence and corruption are most acutely felt.
Across South Africa, the signs of this failure are everywhere. In Hammanskraal, where I come from, residents were left to drink contaminated water while officials sat on their hands.
In eThekwini, raw sewage flows into rivers and streets, and still, the municipality fails to act.
In the Eastern Cape, schools go without sanitation while municipalities spend millions on vanity projects. And in countless towns and townships, streetlights are dead, roads are cratered, and families endure years without running water or power.
These are not isolated incidents. They are symptoms of a broken system. And the time for excuses has long passed.
But I am not here today to simply recount the failures. I am here to bring you a message of hope. A message of change. And a message of action. It is time to Fix South Africa, starting with fixing local government.
In 2020, ActionSA launched ahead of the 2021 Local Government Elections with a clear and urgent message, that if entrusted with the mandate to govern, we would work tirelessly to turn this reality around wherever we are given the opportunity to serve.
We made a clear commitment to South Africans, a commitment to address the rot that has taken root in local government and to restore the promise of municipalities that work for the people.
For far too long, this critical sphere of government has been brought to its knees by inefficiency, corruption and mismanagement. ActionSA was born to challenge that status quo and we are now more than ever determined to lead a new era of ethical, responsive and people-centred local governance.
Our communities have long endured:
- Collapsing infrastructure, unreliable water and electricity supply.
- Billions are looted through dodgy tenders and financial mismanagement, while communities are left without the most basic of services.
- Too many so-called leaders are more loyal to party bosses than to the people they were elected to serve.
- In the absence of functional municipalities, local economies suffer, jobs disappear, and opportunities vanish.
- Trust between citizens and government has eroded. People no longer believe that those in power will deliver, and with good reason.
This is not just a technical failure. It is a moral failure. A failure of leadership. And it is costing South Africa dearly.
But it is exactly this failure that ActionSA was formed to confront, and, most importantly, to fix.
We believe the solution lies in building a new kind of local government. One that is transformative, accountable, and most of all, people-centred.
We believe in local government that listens: That answers your calls, responds to service complaints and shows up when residents need help.
We believe in local government that cares: That treats every community with dignity and respect, whether you live in a township, an informal settlement, a suburb, or a rural village.
And we believe in local government that works: Where excuses are replaced with action. Where we fix what’s broken, clean what’s dirty, and build what’s needed, without delay.
This is not theory. This is not a promise.
ActionSA is already putting this into practice where we govern. And the results speak for themselves.
Our approach to local government is simple, but powerful:
- Reliable basic services
- Clean and safe neighbourhoods
- Pro-poor budgeting
- Professional appointments
- Fast turnaround times
- Real partnerships with communities
This is the ActionSA way. And this is how we fix South Africa, starting with fixing local government.
In Johannesburg, under my leadership as Mayor between 2016 and 2019, we began the process of turning around a city that had long been mired in chaos. We improved service delivery, tackled corruption head-on, and created an environment where businesses could thrive and residents could begin to hope again.
In just three years, my administration achieved the following:
- We saved R2.1 billion by cutting unnecessary expenditure on items that were not directed towards improving the lives of residents.
- We uncovered R35 billion in fraud and corruption.
- I dismissed three Members of the Mayoral Committee from my former party for misconduct, because no political loyalty can come before the public interest.
- We facilitated investment in the city, growing from R4.5 billion in 2016/17 to R8.7 billion in 2017/18, and in my final year, that figure rose to R17.3 billion.
- We released 154 properties to the private sector, identified 37 factories for release, and laid the foundation for Inner City Rejuvenation projects projected to inject R32 billion into the economy. These developments were set to create 21,000 construction jobs and 14,500 affordable housing opportunities.
- We extended operating hours at 27 clinics to improve access to healthcare.
- We handed over 8,587 title deeds to rightful beneficiaries, empowering families with ownership and dignity.
This list goes on. It proves that I did not simply talk about change , I delivered it.
Similarly, Athol Trollip, who now leads our parliamentary caucus, demonstrated during his tenure as Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay that sound governance and strategic planning can place a municipality on the road to recovery.
Dr Nasiphi Moya, ActionSA’s Executive Mayor of Tshwane, is living proof of our commitment to ethical leadership and effective service delivery. In her, we see the embodiment of ActionSA’s values being put into practice.
These leaders, and many more across our movement, stand as a testament to what ActionSA believes in…effective, delivery-driven governance that puts the people first, in the true spirit of Batho Pele.
Their successes prove that change is not only possible, it is achievable when leaders are committed, capable, and held to account.
Fellow South Africans, we are not destined to accept failure, incompetence and corruption as our daily reality. There is a credible, proven alternative.
ActionSA is ready to take municipalities off the path of decay and set them firmly on the road to recovery and growth.
We are ready to serve. We are ready to lead. And we are ready to get South Africa’s local government back on track.
To every South African who is tired of broken promises, failed services, and corrupt leadership, I say this: your vote in the 2026 Local Government Elections is your power. Use it to help build the future we all deserve.
And as we stand here on London Road in Alexandra, the potholes behind me represent much more than damaged infrastructure. They symbolise the broader collapse of local government across our country.
And that is precisely why, in the months ahead, ActionSA, our leaders, and our members will be taking this fight to the heart of every community – standing up for the millions of South Africans who have been abandoned by the failures of those meant to serve them.
Thank you.
ActionSA Launches Nationwide Campaign Focused on Fixing Local Government
Note to Editors: These remarks were delivered this morning in Alexandra by ActionSA President, Herman Mashaba, at the launch of ActionSA’s nationwide campaign focused on fixing local government in South Africa.
Good Morning Fellow South Africans,
As I stand before you today in Alexandra, communities like this one, across South Africa, continue to be left behind. Left without reliable access to basic services like clean water, electricity, refuse removal and functioning sanitation. Sadly, this is not merely a developmental failure, it is a daily violation of the basic human rights enshrined in our Constitution.
I entered politics and founded ActionSA, together with the patriots standing beside me, for the very reason that we must confront the undeniable truth that the collapse of local government is one of the greatest threats facing our democracy.
This is the very sphere of government closest to the people and yet it is where mismanagement, incompetence and corruption are most acutely felt.
Across South Africa, the signs of this failure are everywhere. In Hammanskraal, where I come from, residents were left to drink contaminated water while officials sat on their hands.
In eThekwini, raw sewage flows into rivers and streets, and still, the municipality fails to act.
In the Eastern Cape, schools go without sanitation while municipalities spend millions on vanity projects. And in countless towns and townships, streetlights are dead, roads are cratered, and families endure years without running water or power.
These are not isolated incidents. They are symptoms of a broken system. And the time for excuses has long passed.
But I am not here today to simply recount the failures. I am here to bring you a message of hope. A message of change. And a message of action. It is time to Fix South Africa, starting with fixing local government.
In 2020, ActionSA launched ahead of the 2021 Local Government Elections with a clear and urgent message, that if entrusted with the mandate to govern, we would work tirelessly to turn this reality around wherever we are given the opportunity to serve.
We made a clear commitment to South Africans, a commitment to address the rot that has taken root in local government and to restore the promise of municipalities that work for the people.
For far too long, this critical sphere of government has been brought to its knees by inefficiency, corruption and mismanagement. ActionSA was born to challenge that status quo and we are now more than ever determined to lead a new era of ethical, responsive and people-centred local governance.
Our communities have long endured:
This is not just a technical failure. It is a moral failure. A failure of leadership. And it is costing South Africa dearly.
But it is exactly this failure that ActionSA was formed to confront, and, most importantly, to fix.
We believe the solution lies in building a new kind of local government. One that is transformative, accountable, and most of all, people-centred.
We believe in local government that listens: That answers your calls, responds to service complaints and shows up when residents need help.
We believe in local government that cares: That treats every community with dignity and respect, whether you live in a township, an informal settlement, a suburb, or a rural village.
And we believe in local government that works: Where excuses are replaced with action. Where we fix what’s broken, clean what’s dirty, and build what’s needed, without delay.
This is not theory. This is not a promise.
ActionSA is already putting this into practice where we govern. And the results speak for themselves.
Our approach to local government is simple, but powerful:
This is the ActionSA way. And this is how we fix South Africa, starting with fixing local government.
In Johannesburg, under my leadership as Mayor between 2016 and 2019, we began the process of turning around a city that had long been mired in chaos. We improved service delivery, tackled corruption head-on, and created an environment where businesses could thrive and residents could begin to hope again.
In just three years, my administration achieved the following:
This list goes on. It proves that I did not simply talk about change , I delivered it.
Similarly, Athol Trollip, who now leads our parliamentary caucus, demonstrated during his tenure as Mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay that sound governance and strategic planning can place a municipality on the road to recovery.
Dr Nasiphi Moya, ActionSA’s Executive Mayor of Tshwane, is living proof of our commitment to ethical leadership and effective service delivery. In her, we see the embodiment of ActionSA’s values being put into practice.
These leaders, and many more across our movement, stand as a testament to what ActionSA believes in…effective, delivery-driven governance that puts the people first, in the true spirit of Batho Pele.
Their successes prove that change is not only possible, it is achievable when leaders are committed, capable, and held to account.
Fellow South Africans, we are not destined to accept failure, incompetence and corruption as our daily reality. There is a credible, proven alternative.
ActionSA is ready to take municipalities off the path of decay and set them firmly on the road to recovery and growth.
We are ready to serve. We are ready to lead. And we are ready to get South Africa’s local government back on track.
To every South African who is tired of broken promises, failed services, and corrupt leadership, I say this: your vote in the 2026 Local Government Elections is your power. Use it to help build the future we all deserve.
And as we stand here on London Road in Alexandra, the potholes behind me represent much more than damaged infrastructure. They symbolise the broader collapse of local government across our country.
And that is precisely why, in the months ahead, ActionSA, our leaders, and our members will be taking this fight to the heart of every community – standing up for the millions of South Africans who have been abandoned by the failures of those meant to serve them.
Thank you.