ActionSA mayoral hopeful Xolani Khumalo courts Tembisa voters frustrated by service delivery woes

ActionSA Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate Xolani Khumalo will cast his ballot in an ANC-governed ward in Tembisa, where residents have raised concerns about electricity disconnections, disputed municipal bills, water interruptions and the affordability of basic services.

Khumalo is scheduled to vote at the Ethiopian Church of SA in Ward 6 on November 4, as he seeks to persuade voters that ActionSA can offer an alternative to the current municipal administration.

It will be a tough feat for Khumalo to convince the community, with the ANC’s consistent winning streak in the ward.

The ANC retained Ward 6 in the November 2021 elections, securing 64.3% of the ward councillor vote. The EFF received 18.2%, while ActionSA, which was contesting its first local government elections, secured 7.8%. The DA received 3.7%.

His election-day visit comes against the backdrop of protests that brought parts of Tembisa to a standstill in February, when residents took to the streets over electricity disconnections, disputed municipal accounts, rising tariffs and difficulties accessing the municipality’s indigent support programme.

The demonstrations disrupted transport services, schools and access to healthcare facilities, with residents blocking roads in frustration over the city’s credit-control measures and the treatment of financially vulnerable households.

Residents also complained about pre-termination notices and disputed electricity bills, demanding that the municipality review its indigent policy and address accounts they believed were incorrect.

In response, Ekurhuleni executive mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza announced the temporary suspension of electricity disconnections affecting indigent and deemed-indigent households while the municipality investigated the complaints.

The city also undertook to restore electricity to qualifying households and review its indigent policy.

The wider metro faces challenges relating to ageing infrastructure, water losses and maintenance backlogs, placing pressure on the municipality to improve its delivery of basic services.

Khumalo, who became widely known through his crime-fighting television programme Sizok’thola, was announced as ActionSA’s Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate in October 2025.

He has positioned himself as a candidate who wants to tackle crime, improve municipal services and create economic opportunities, particularly for township businesses and young people.

ActionSA’s 2026 manifesto promises to improve water and electricity provision, strengthen municipal financial management, professionalise municipal administrations and intensify the fight against corruption.

The party has also committed to strengthening law enforcement, tackling infrastructure theft and illegal connections, reducing red tape for businesses and creating opportunities for small enterprises.