The political storm in the City of Ekurhuleni deepened on Wednesday after ActionSA rejected claims that one of its senior leaders, Cllr Xolani Khumalo, had been appointed to the Mayoral Committee by Executive Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza.
The party has described as “entirely fabricated” a media statement circulating after Tuesday night’s dramatic reshuffle, which listed Khumalo as the new MMC for Community Services and By-Law Enforcement.
The reshuffle, announced just before midnight, saw Mayor Xhakaza unveil what he termed “strategic changes” to the city’s executive following consultations with 13 of the 16 political parties represented in council. The discussions culminated in what the mayor called the Ekurhuleni Governance Framework, aimed at strengthening a Government of Local Unity in the metro.
Among the 10 portfolios announced was Community Services and By-Law Enforcement, which the statement said would be headed by Khumalo — ActionSA’s mayoral candidate in the metro.
However, ActionSA moved swiftly on Wednesday morning to distance itself from the development.
In a strongly worded response, ActionSA President Herman Mashaba said the party had not entered into any agreement with the mayor and had consistently rejected overtures to join what he described as a “failing administration.”
“We categorically distance ourselves from a false media statement currently circulating, which purports changes to the Mayoral Executive in Ekurhuleni,” Mashaba said. “This statement is entirely fabricated and does not reflect any engagement or agreement involving ActionSA.”
Mashaba added that repeated attempts by Mayor Xhakaza to solicit ActionSA’s participation in his administration had been rebuffed.
“Our position has been clear on every occasion: we will not join this government. We will not lend credibility to an administration that has overseen lawlessness and the deterioration of service delivery that continues to cripple the city,” he said.
The public fallout has cast uncertainty over the legitimacy of the newly announced Mayoral Committee, which was expected to be sworn in at 9am on Wednesday at the OR Tambo Government Precinct.
The reshuffled executive includes portfolios such as Metro Utilities, Roads and Transport, Human Settlements, Finance and Strategy, and Community Safety. The mayor had framed the changes as a necessary step to stabilise governance and improve service delivery in the embattled metro.
But ActionSA’s rejection now raises questions about whether the mayor acted prematurely in announcing Khumalo’s inclusion, or whether there was a breakdown in communication between the parties.
Complicating matters further are the ongoing legal challenges facing Khumalo. The councillor, who is known for hosting a television programme that confronts alleged drug dealers, is currently facing serious criminal charges, including allegations of murder and attempted murder. The matters are before the courts, and he has denied wrongdoing.
On his social media platform X, Khumalo confirmed that he would be appearing at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday.
“Tomorrow, 18 February, we return to the Palm Ridge Magistrate Court. We will never accept a society where criminals are shielded while law-abiding citizens live in fear,” he wrote.
ActionSA has not addressed the legal matters directly in its statement but has maintained that it will not participate in what it calls a dysfunctional administration.
Mashaba said the people of Ekurhuleni were “tired of dysfunction, lawlessness and the collapse of basic municipal services,” adding that ActionSA’s focus remained on restoring governance, rooting out corruption and fixing service delivery — priorities the party intends to implement if it secures a clear mandate in the upcoming local government elections.
The mayor’s office had not issued an updated statement at the time of publication clarifying Khumalo’s status in the executive.
As political tensions escalate, residents of Ekurhuleni are left watching closely to see whether the Governance Framework touted by the mayor will hold — or unravel before it even takes effect.
