WATCH | Herman Mashaba’s Joburg mayoral bid targets hijacked buildings, illegal immigrants and corruption

ActionSA leader and former Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba says the city is broken and he has a plan to fix it if he’s given another mandate. Mashaba left office in 2019 after serving only three of his five years, citing what he called “evil forces” plotting his removal. He says the experience left him better prepared to govern.

“I’ve got three years’ experience managing the city. I know the loopholes, I know where the key players are hiding,” he said, arguing that Johannesburg’s efficient management is critical for the national economy. Mashaba criticised the ANC’s Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP), saying its housing programme had failed, pushing citizens far from workplaces.

His solution: reclaim hijacked buildings in the inner city and hand them over to the private sector to develop high-rise housing closer to jobs. Reflecting on his first term, Mashaba highlighted his firing of corrupt officials, forming Johannesburg’s anti-corruption unit and appointing suspended national police commissioner Lt‑Gen Shadrack Sibiya to lead it. “I can’t regret the decision,” he said.

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With Sibiya now at the centre of national police corruption allegations, Mashaba said future appointments must be vetted through public interviews to ensure transparency. On coalition governance, Mashaba said South Africa has entered a new era in which coalitions are unavoidable. Drawing on his experience running Johannesburg and Tshwane, he called for transparency, respect and inclusion of coalition partners, citing Tshwane’s success under his guidance.

He criticised former DA leader Helen Zille, blaming her for destabilising Johannesburg’s government and hindering projects he had approved. Mashaba said he has no personal relationship with Zille and is focused on ensuring the city delivers services to its residents. Mashaba raised concerns about undocumented immigrants occupying properties in Johannesburg, arguing that reclaiming these buildings for South Africans would allow the private sector to build affordable housing and bring residents closer to jobs.

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