By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has been officially announced as the party’s mayoral candidate for the City of Johannesburg.
The announcement was made in Orlando Community Hall, Soweto on Saturday, 21 February 2026.
Mashaba was on the shortlist, alongside Michael Beaumont, national spokesperson and parliamentary chief whip Lerato Ngobeni, MP Dereleen James and Gauteng provincial chairperson Funzi Ngobeni.
The announcement places Mashaba in a growing field of high-profile contenders for control of South Africa’s economic hub. The Democratic Alliance has put forward federal council chairperson Helen Zille as its Johannesburg mayoral candidate, while the ANC is backing Loyiso Masuku, the MMC for finance.
Mashaba was mayor of the city, representing the DA, between 2016 and 2019, and there have been calls for him to return.
In his acceptance speech, Mashaba said, “I am stepping back into the ring to take back our city. Not for spectacle. Not for drama. But because this city needs a fighter who knows what it takes to win.”
Mashaba declared war against corruption, incompetence, lawlessness, decline and collapse of Johannesburg.”
He added, “that his declaration must be clear from the very start that this campaign will not be about theory, personalities, empty commitments or endless talking.”
The City of Johannesburg has experienced political instability in recent years, with frequent changes in leadership driven by shifting coalition arrangements in the council.
Service delivery failures, including recurring water and electricity outages and deteriorating infrastructure, have become central issues before the 2026 local government elections.
Meanwhile March and March founder Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma is expected to be announced as ActionSA mayoral candidate for eThekwini municipality.