Herman Mashaba fills potholes in Alexandra as ActionSA launches 2026 election campaign
Politicians will do almost anything to earn votes. This was demonstrated on Monday morning when ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba launched his party’s 2026 local government election campaign by personally repairing potholes in Alexandra.
The campaign launch took place on London Road (Vincent Tshabalala Road), where Mashaba was joined by Tshwane mayor Dr. Nasiphi Moya, Member of Parliament Athol Trollip, and ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont, among others.
According to the party, the campaign marks the start of an intensive, nationwide effort to “fix local government” in South Africa, where service delivery failures have long denied residents basic services and human dignity.
“Communities like Alexandra continue to be left behind,” Mashaba told the media.
“They are left without reliable access to 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.”
Mashaba, who previously served as Johannesburg mayor from 2016 to 2019 under the Democratic Alliance, said the collapse of local government represents one of the greatest threats to South Africa’s democracy.
“This is the sphere of government closest to the people, and yet it is where mismanagement, incompetence, and corruption are most acute and most deeply felt by our communities,” he said.
Residents in Hammanskraal were drinking contaminated water while officials “sat on their hands,” he added. Raw sewage flows into rivers and streets in eThekwini, and schools in the Eastern Cape lack sanitation, yet municipalities spend millions on “vanity projects.”
“In countless towns and townships, street lights are dead, roads are cratered, and families endure years without running water or power,” he said.
“These are not isolated incidents, they are symptoms of a broken society and a broken system.”
Mashaba said that he did not come to Alexandra simply to recount failures, but to bring a “message of hope, change, and action.”
Alexandra residents continue to face longstanding challenges, including poor housing, inadequate sanitation, crumbling infrastructure, potholes, and sewage spills.
Sewage was visible along the road during Mashaba’s visit, and some potholes were filled with wastewater.
After his speech, Mashaba grabbed tools and helped repair one of the potholes himself.
IOL News previously reported that Zille said she has been approached by her party and is weighing the decision.
Meanwhile, Johannesburg faces deep-rooted problems, including water shortages, power outages, hijacked buildings, broken traffic lights, uncollected waste, overcrowded informal settlements, and widespread crime.
Over the past eight years, the city had nine mayors from various parties, with many residents saying service delivery has only worsened.
Some Joburg residents previously told IOL News they prefer the leadership of current ANC Mayor Dada Morero and Mashaba over any potential DA mayor.
Mashaba said ActionSA was founded in 2020, ahead of the 2021 local elections, with a clear mission, to reverse the failures of local governance and restore public trust.
“For far too long, this critical sphere of government has been brought to its knees by inefficiency, corruption, and mismanagement,” he said.
“ActionSA was born to challenge the status quo and lead a new era of ethical, responsive, and people-centered local governments.”
He criticised the culture of political patronage in local councils, saying 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,” Mashaba said.
“This is not just a technical failure, it is a moral failure, a failure of leadership, and it is costing South Africa.”
Mashaba also stressed the need for increased financial support for municipalities, arguing that local governments cannot function effectively without adequate funding.
simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za
IOL Politics