By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
ActionSA President Herman Mashaba has announced Mary Phadi as a mayoral candidate for the Nkangala District Municipality in Mpumalanga.
Mashaba made an announcement during a political engagement held in Nkangala on Saturday afternoon.
Nkangala is one of the areas hollowed out by de-industrialisation, now characterised by abandoned factories.
It consists of 160 towns and villages. The most spoken language of its 1,308,129 people is IsiNdebele with 28.4%, closely followed by Zulu speakers.
Mashaba said the announcement marks a pivotal moment for the party as step forward with one clear mission: to put South Africans first and restore dignity in our communities.
“We will not accept a system where our people are sidelined in their own economy. We will continue to apply pressure until real change is delivered, added Mashaba.”
ActionSA’s strategic announcements show a party that is taking upcoming elections very seriously and preparing to challenge the status quo in municipalities where voters have grown tired of poor service delivery.
The road to 2026 has begun, and ActionSA has made its intentions clear: it will fight for communities that feel forgotten and demand better from local government.
In her address, Phadi said, ActionSA would prioritise fixing service delivery, improving infrastructure management, and appointing qualified technical professionals.
“We will restore water, electricity, roads, and sanitation, she said. No community should live without basic services.”
She also committed to tackling inequality by improving services in informal settlements, accelerating housing delivery, and ensuring transparency in municipal spending.
Phadi said the party would focus on attracting investment, cutting red tape, and supporting small businesses to create jobs, particularly for young people. We will unlock Nkangala’s economic potential and ensure infrastructure projects create jobs for local people,” she said.
Phadi was recently appointed as the Mpumalanga provincial campaign manager of ActionSA. She was born on March 15, 1976, in the small town of Cornelia, located in the Free State province of South Africa.