Mashaba told The Citizen that the councillors were not meeting performance targets
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has confirmed that seven councillors from the City of Johannesburg have been removed from their position.
Mashaba told The Citizen on Monday that the councillors failed to meet their key performance indicators (KPIs), which they were given in September last year.
The Citizen understands that some councillors received communication about their removal while they were sitting in a council meeting.
Mashaba confirms dismissals
Mashaba said two councillors in the City of Ekurhuleni and two from the City of Tshwane had also been removed.
“We gave some of our councillors KPIs because we realised that some of them were not coming to the party. We gave them until the end of May this year to meet KPIs, and this process was even postponed to June.
“Eventually, on Friday, a report was presented, and some of them did not even meet 10% of their KPIs. This was critical to show that they are really able to serve society. We cannot have people in council that are not doing their duties,” he said.
Out with the old, in with the new
Mashaba said councillors who are not performing will be replaced with new ones, who will also be given performance targets.
“Those that did not make their KPIs, they have to make way; we have activists who are opening big branches every day, and they are engaging communities. So, we believe that these are the people that must be given an opportunity to represent society. You cannot be a councillor if you do not have a constituency,” he said.
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South Africans complaining about councillors
Mashaba said the move is also to show South Africans that the party can hold its public representatives accountable.
“Our people on the ground are complaining about councillors that are not working, they are not accountable for the task and the assignment that they have been given. We have given them enough time. They had about a year to perform and, if I had it my way, the original end date of their contract, which was May, should have applied,” he said.
Road to 2026
Mashaba is expected to unveil the party’s mayoral candidate for Ekurhuleni on Saturday. He said the party is not ready to reveal the mayoral candidate for Johannesburg.
“We are excited about Ekurhuleni, but we are not ready with Johannesburg and Tshwane,” he said.
Mashaba still believes that his party will do well in the upcoming local government elections in Johannesburg and other municipalities.
He said his party was able to receive huge support in the recent by-elections in ward 130, even though the ANC had won the ward.
“We came second after the ANC, and we even beat the MK party and the EFF, and I can tell you that parties such as the MK party invested a lot of money campaigning there,” he said.
What now?
The removal of ActionSA councillors in Johannesburg and other municipalities in Gauteng means that the party will then have to recommend candidates to the office of the speaker, who will replace the councillors who have been removed.
All councillors accept that the mayor, speaker, MMCs, and chairperson of committees are seen as full-time in their positions, while ordinary councillors can have other professions.
The money they receive once appointed is regarded as a stipend.
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