By Charmaine Ndlela
Television star and ActionSA’s mayoral candidate for the City of Ekurhuleni ahead of the 2026 local government elections, has vowed to launch a 100-day blitz to immediately fix the basic services affecting residents across the city.
Speaking to Inside Metros, Khumalo, who is also host of the controversial investigative show Sizok’thola, outlined the key challenges facing communities and pledged to deliver practical results.
“Residents are living with potholes, electricity cuts, dirty streets, water problems, and wrong billing. In my first 100 days we will repair roads, restore lights, stabilize water, clean the city, and make sure people are billed correctly — only for what they use,” said Khumalo.
When asked about the five things he would do differently if elected, Khumalo said he would “build a coalition focused on service, not politics.”
“Right now, the government is only staying together to protect their positions, not the people. My coalition will sign real agreements about performance. If you don’t deliver for residents, you won’t stay in government with me. I will bring real accountability with public performance dashboards. For many years the city failed to reach its targets, and nothing happened,” he said.
“Under my leadership, every department will have clear monthly goals that the public can see. I will fight corruption with an Independent Anti-Corruption Unit. The city lost more than a billion rand because of irregular and wasteful spending. I will cancel all corrupt contracts, remove companies that steal from the city, and introduce lifestyle audits for officials. Corruption must end from the first day.”
One of Khumalo’s key initiatives includes creating special law enforcement units to tackle serious crime.
“I will set up a Municipal Narcotics Unit. The drug houses I confronted on the show will now be closed using city law enforcement powers. I will also clean up the Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD). Any officer taking bribes or working with criminals will not remain in the service. Residents must trust their police again,” said Khumalo.
“We will use technology like gunshot detection and crime mapping so we can respond faster to dangerous areas. Finally, I will work closely with communities, churches, NGOs, and CPF structures. Safety cannot depend only on police — the whole community must be involved, and I will support them fully.”
Khumalo said his campaign was driven by an operational mindset to tackle the city’s challenges head-on.
“My campaign already has a 100-day blitz plan, public dashboards, a skills audit, and clear targets. This is practical work, not political speeches,” he said.
His focus, he added, is on bringing meaningful change to residents’ daily lives.
“I will put a system in place where every complaint is answered within 48 hours. If the city doesn’t respond, I will. I will make sure the public can see service-delivery results every month. People must judge us by what we do, not what we say. I will fix ward committees so that they represent real residents, not political favorites,” he said.
“I will always be on the ground — visiting communities, checking projects, and speaking directly to residents.”
Khumalo further spoke about his roots and his commitment to authentic leadership.
“I am from Tembisa. My commitment is personal. I didn’t come from the world of entertainment — my work started in the streets, with the people, and that will never change,” Khumalo said.
“People know I show up, I don’t hide behind titles, and I do the work myself. That is the leadership Ekurhuleni needs today.”
INSIDE METROS