Mashaba for Mayor? ActionSA weighs Joburg comeback ahead of 2026 elections
Herman Mashaba is being considered by his party to be the mayoral candidate for the City of Joburg.
Image: Phando Jikelo / Inependent Media
ActionSA says it has not yet decided on who will be its mayoral candidate for the City of Johannesburg, but the party is not ruling out the return of former mayor Herman Mashaba.
Mashaba, who previously served as the executive mayor from August 22, 2016, to November 27, 2019, is widely known for his "pro-poor" agenda and a tough stance on corruption.
His potential return could significantly shake up the race ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
Speaking to IOL, ActionSA national chairperson Michael Beaumont said the party is still deliberating, but acknowledged that Mashaba remains a strong contender.
“ActionSA has not made any decisions in respect of a mayoral candidate in Johannesburg. The matter is still being considered, but there can be no doubt that Herman Mashaba is the only person who has demonstrably improved Joburg in recent memory,” Beaumont said.
Speculation about Mashaba's return stems from a bakkie that IOL spotted in Soweto last week with a sticker that read “Mashaba for Mayor”.
The sighting stirred discussions amid increasing political activity as parties gear up for the 2026 elections.
Beaumont, however, downplayed the incident, suggesting the sticker might be a remnant from a previous campaign, while not ruling out future developments.
Mashaba first became mayor following the 2016 local elections, where he led a multi-party coalition under the Democratic Alliance (DA) banner.
However, his tenure came to an abrupt end in October 2019, when he resigned after the re-election of Helen Zille as the DA’s federal council chairperson — a move he believed signalled a return to “anti-poor” politics within the DA.
His resignation became effective on November 27, 2019, after which he went on to form ActionSA, positioning it as a party focused on clean governance, economic opportunity, and service delivery.
In a twist that highlights the growing competition, IOL reported last month that the DA in Gauteng confirmed Helen Zille herself had been interviewed as a potential candidate for the Johannesburg mayoral position.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
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