BY SINDISO NTHLABATHI:
26 September 2026 – Afrika Mayibuye Movement president Floyd Shivambu used a political gathering in Tembisa to put jobs, water and municipal service delivery at the centre of the party’s pitch for the 2026 local government elections.
His message was blunt: municipalities must do more than facilitate elections — they must deliver basic services to the communities they govern.
Shivambu promised that a Mayibuye-led government would prioritise access to clean water, reliable electricity, roads, schools and housing, arguing that millions of South Africans remain excluded from meaningful municipal services.
He also proposed using municipalities to tackle apartheid-era spatial patterns by expanding social housing into affluent areas, naming Sandton, Bedfordview, Kenilworth and Umhlanga.
In Ekurhuleni, Shivambu made a specific commitment: if Mayibuye takes control of the municipality, he said the party would immediately cancel the tender involving the Red Ants used in informal-settlement demolitions.
On employment, he said Mayibuye would seek to create opportunities beyond Gauteng, particularly in provinces that continue to supply workers to the economic hub. He framed this as an attempt to dismantle the migrant-labour patterns associated with apartheid.
Shivambu also targeted the mining sector, promising legislation compelling mining companies to deliver greater benefits to communities hosting mineral resources.
The political test, however, will extend beyond the promises.
Mayibuye is contesting more than 4,000 wards, with Bishop Vincent Jones a former MMC for the Midvaal in Gauteng, including Themba Lukhele for Ekurhuleni.
For voters, the central question emerging from the Tembisa address is therefore not simply what Mayibuye promises, but how those commitments would be financed, administered and measured if the party gains municipal power. – @NewsSA_Online
Follow us on our social media platforms below: