ActionSA manifesto pledges municipal service and finance overhaul

ActionSA launched its 2026 local-government election manifesto in Johannesburg on Saturday, 26 September, pledging to prioritise basic services, municipal finances and anti-corruption measures if voters put it in power.

Party president and Johannesburg mayoral candidate Herman Mashaba set out the plan at the launch. It calls for reliable water and electricity, maintained roads, refuse collection and action on sewage failures. The promises are campaign commitments, not measures already implemented across municipalities.

On municipal finances, ActionSA says councils it governs would adopt funded budgets, cut wasteful spending, draw up recovery plans where needed, and improve metering and billing. Mashaba said residents should be charged accurately and that spending should be directed to service priorities.

The manifesto also promises appointments based on qualifications and performance, greater transparency around tenders and contracts, and protection for whistle-blowers. Where corruption is proven, the party says it would pursue consequences and recovery of public money. It proposes more municipal law-enforcement capacity and stronger by-law enforcement, while working with national authorities where powers lie outside councils.

For local businesses, ActionSA says it would reduce unnecessary red tape, set clearer turnaround times for municipal approvals and improve access to opportunities for small firms. It also proposes investment in neglected communities, upgrades to informal settlements where safe, and improvements to public transport and public spaces.

Its coalition position is that it will not make pre-election coalition deals. If no party wins a majority in a council, it says any coalition it joins should have a defined programme, responsibilities and accountability arrangements.

Eyewitness News reported from Saturday’s launch at Johannesburg City Hall, where Cape Town mayoral candidate Dereleen James also spoke about safety, affordability and working services. ActionSA’s own published speech provides the detail of Mashaba’s policy pledges. The election manifesto is now available from the party’s website.