Action SA leader and Johannesburg mayoral candidate Herman Mashaba says the DA’s Helen Zille will fail in her bid to govern the city of Joburg due to her party’s lack of focus on the poor.
Mashaba made the comments in an exclusive interview, citing Zille’s track record in the Western Cape as evidence of her inability to connect with poorer communities. “Ask the people of Khayelitsha why they will never vote for Helen Zille and you will understand why she will never be Joburg mayor. She is not pro-poor — it’s that simple,” he said.
Focus on Poor Communities
Mashaba, who has experience as a former DA mayor, said he often clashed with the party over his focus on poorer communities. “I was taken to task for focusing on poor communities. I was asked why I was concentrating on areas that don’t contribute much in rates instead of focusing on affluent suburbs,” he said.
The mayoral contest between Mashaba and Zille is expected to be fierce, with both candidates campaigning on issues such as water cuts, collapsing service delivery, and corruption. Johannesburg has the country’s largest municipal budget at R89.4 billion annually, compared with Cape Town’s R84.1 billion and eThekwini’s R70 billion, according to the South African Government website.
Conditions for Coalition Government
Mashaba also laid down three conditions for any future coalition government involving ActionSA. These include full scrutiny and corruption audits, service delivery for all communities, and the removal of illegal foreigners. “First, any party that wants to govern with us must agree to full scrutiny and corruption audits — no cover-ups. Secondly, there must be service delivery for all communities. We will not allow selective services where affluent suburbs benefit while poor communities are ignored. Thirdly, illegal foreigners must be removed. They have captured parts of the inner city and we want them out,” he said.
As the race for Johannesburg intensifies, analysts say the difference lies in spending priorities. While Cape Town invests heavily in infrastructure such as roads, pipes, electricity and transport, Johannesburg spends more on other areas. The city’s budget is outlined on the City of Johannesburg website.
- Full scrutiny and corruption audits
- Service delivery for all communities
- Removal of illegal foreigners
