ActionSA is poised to throw one of its heavyweights in the metro, with insiders confirming the party is set to announce its leader, Herman Mashaba, as its mayoral candidate for Johannesburg ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
The announcement is scheduled for 11am on Saturday in Soweto, where the party will unveil its chosen candidate from a shortlist of five.Multiple insiders told IOL the decision is effectively made.
“He needs to come back because he is the only person who can fix the city. The records prove he’s the best candidate,” one source said.
Another added: “His record speaks for him. He made drastic changes that no one thought possible. He is the one to save Joburg.”
ActionSA chairperson Michael Beaumont declined to confirm Mashaba’s candidacy ahead of the event but signalled confidence.
“I cannot comment until the official announcement, but I can say the candidate is the right candidate to fix Joburg,” he said.
Mashaba served as Johannesburg mayor from August 2016 to November 2019. During his tenure, he established a specialised anti-corruption unit that investigated more than 6,000 cases involving billions of rand.
His administration insourced over 6,000 security guards and cleaners, improving wages and benefits, and released 83 derelict city-owned properties for low-cost housing and mixed-use development.He resigned from the Democratic Alliance (DA) in 2019, citing irreconcilable differences over race and redress, and went on to found ActionSA.
Mashaba is expected to face stiff competition, including from the DA’s Helen Zille, setting up a high-stakes battle for control of the country’s economic powerhouse.