ActionSA President Herman Mashaba has vehemently denied involvement in what he called “a fabricated media statement” regarding changes to the Ekurhuleni Mayoral Executive, emphasizing that they have not engaged in or agreed to any such restructuring.
Mashaba indicated that the party reiterates its refusal to join what it calls a “failing and corrupt” administration responsible for service delivery failures. This comes after Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza announced a reshuffle of his mayoral committee to include ActionSA’s Xolani Khumalo as the MMC for the Community Services and By-Law Enforcement portfolio. “Following repeated and unsuccessful attempts by Mayor Xhakaza to solicit ActionSA’s participation in his administration, I have consistently made it clear that we will not join his failing government and have rejected every personal and formal approach made to us.”
“Our position has been very clear on every occasion that we will not lend credibility to an administration that has overseen the lawless and deterioration of service delivery that continues to cripple the city.
“The people of Ekurhuleni are tired of dysfunction, lawlessness and the collapse of basic municipal services. ActionSA’s focus remains on restoring governance, cleaning out corruption, restoring the rule of law and fixing the fundamentals of service delivery. These are priorities we intend to implement when we secure a clear mandate from residents in the upcoming local government elections,” said Mashaba.
The reshuffle comes after tension between the ANC and the EFF escalated after the Red Berets’ Nthabiseng Tshivhenga resigned as speaker and the ANC fielded its own candidate to replace her.
Xhakaza has also removed the Red Beret’s provincial chairperson, Cllr Nkululeko Dunga as the MMC for Finance in 2024.
On Monday, 26 January 2026, Ekurhuleni council elected the African National Congress (ANC) Cllr Dora Mlambo as the new Speaker of Council on Monday, 26 January 2026. A total of 230 ballot papers were printed, with 191 valid votes cast and 14 spoiled. Mlambo secured the win with the support of the ANC and several minority party “kingmakers”.
Mlambo defeated the Economic Freedom Fighter (EFF) Cllr Nkululeko Dunga and the Democratic Alliance (DA) Cllr Lucky Dinake with 91 votes. Dinake received 69 votes, while Dunga has 31 votes.
Her election follows the resignation of former Speaker Nthabiseng Tshivhenga. The EFF councillor Tshivhenga resigned in December last year.
Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) confirmed that they have declined the offer to be part of the newly announced mayoral committee.
“Xhakaza has unilaterally removed EFF Councillor Bridget Thusi as the MMC for Community Services and EFF Councillor Kgopelo Hollo as the MMC for Human Settlement. Both of these MMC’s have performed well in their Portfolios and have been of exemplary service to the people of Ekurhuleni.
“The removal of these two EFF MMC’s, follows the removal of EFF Councillor Nkululeko Dunga as the MMC of Finance in 2024, a decision which. Has seen a decline in the City’s finances and growing debts. Most recently, the ANC at the behest of Xhakaza refused to fill the vacancy of the Speaker of the City Council with an EFF Councillor, as had been agreed upon in previous negotiations as the position had been held by the EFF,” said the party in a statement.
The party also disagrees with the removal of Cllr Thembi Msane as the MMC for Water and Sanitation.
“In his attempt to constitute a new Mayoral Committee, with less EFF Councillors, Xhakaza has offered EFF Councillors Commissar Thembi Msane and Fighter Leshaka Manamela the roles of MMC for Infrastructure and Economic Development Agency and MMC for Human Settlements respectively.”
