By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Photo Credit: ActionSA.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has announced Dereleen James as the party’s mayoral candidate for the City of Cape Town.
The announcement was made at Voorspoed Primary School, Hanover Park on Saturday.
James, widely described as a parliamentary firebrand after her role in the Parliament Ad Hoc Committee, has been tasked with driving the party’s growth and leading its campaign efforts in the province.
Mashaba accused the Democratic Alliance (DA) of dirty tricks in Cape Town, linked to the mayoral candidate’s launch event.
He said that over the last two to three weeks, they were unable to get a venue in every community in Cape Town.
“A few days after we booked, our deposits were returned, and the event was cancelled, without any reasonable explanation provided.”
He said that they finally managed to secure the venue they were using on Saturday, and started official announcements on Tuesday, 9 June 2026.
“To our surprise, on Wednesday, the DA announced their event in the same venue denied to us, in the same community and at the same time,” he said.
Mashaba added that residents of Cape Town deserve better than the arrogant DA government they have now.
In her acceptance speech, James said that tackling crime, dismantling drug cartels, and fighting corruption will remain at the core of her agenda.
She argued that safety must come first, saying unsafe areas make life harder for families, workers and businesses trying to survive.
James said that her party is confident that the DA will fail to hold on to its two-decade-long majority.
She accused the DA of underhanded tactics regarding the announcement venue.
“How petty, immature, and distasteful. You can write all the letters in the world to schools and venues to not grant us access. I am coming, “James said.
Last month, the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) said that the first voter registration weekend would take place on 20 and 21 June 2026. Online registration is currently open. The only official online voter registration portals are: RegisterToVote.org.za or www.elections.org.za.