ActionSA's misstep

EKURHULENI: FORGET THE THEATRICS, IT IS A CITY IN CRISIS

- MANDLA MTHEMBU

Ekurhuleni is not a backdrop for political theatre - it's a city on the brink.

With water outages, erratic electricity and collapsing infrastructure, residents are navigating a crisis.

What they need is competent governance, not a celebrity experiment. Yet ActionSA's nomination of Xolani Khumalo - a television personality with no municipal experience - signals a troubling shift: from policy to performance, from leadership to limelight.

In a metro where service delivery has all but disintegrated, this isn't just a risky bet. It's a dereliction of civic duty.

Khumalo built his name on the Moja Love TV show, Sizok'thola, confronting alleged criminals and exposing drug operations. That may make for riveting television, but running a metro of nearly four million residents is not reality TV - it's public administration.

And that's where Khumalo's lack of experience becomes glaring. Ekurhuleni's challenges can't be solved with cameras rolling and slogans flying.

They require a leader who understands municipal systems, fiscal constraints and service delivery mechanisms.