The Johannesburg mayoral race is heating up with former Democratic Alliance senior leader and ActionSA head, Herman Mashaba, writing a scathing open letter to the DA federal chai Helen Zille, who, like the former, is vying for South Africa's economic hub'ss mayoral seat.
Image: TIMOTHY BARNARD Independent Newspapers
The race for Johannesburg’s mayoral chain has taken a combative turn, with ActionSA’s mayoral candidate launching a scathing public attack on Democratic Alliance (DA) federal chair Helen Zille over her handling of a controversial R10 billion municipal wage agreement.
In an open letter released on Monday, the ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba criticised Zille’s recent court bid to interdict the so-called Politically Facilitated Agreement (PFA), describing it as both misguided and politically opportunistic.
“I have taken note of your unsuccessful court proceedings in Johannesburg seeking to interdict the politically compromised Politically Facilitated Agreement (PFA),” he wrote, adding that while both parties agree the deal is unaffordable, “this is as far as our agreement with you goes on this matter.”
The letter exposes a key point of convergence between the parties — that the wage agreement places significant strain on a city already struggling with service delivery. However, it sharply diverges on the DA’s approach, accusing Zille of attempting to “cancel the entire agreement and erase the city’s legal obligations.”
“As it happens, the court found against your application, noting that the DA did not challenge this PFA in 2024 but has instead chosen to do so now, during an election campaign,” he said.
‘No understanding of Joburg’s labour dynamics’
The ActionSA leader took direct aim at Zille’s grasp of Johannesburg’s governance realities, arguing that her approach reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of the city’s labour environment.
“It is evident that you have no understanding of the important but fragile relationship between this city and organised labour,” he wrote.
He explained that the agreement stems from a 2016 CCMA-mediated settlement following labour disputes and forms part of a legally binding framework under the Labour Relations Act.
“The answer… cannot be to pretend it does not exist,” he added, warning that ignoring such obligations could have serious financial consequences.
Warning from Tshwane precedent
Drawing on past DA governance in Tshwane, the letter cautions against what it calls political grandstanding on labour matters.
“This would not be the first time your party has adopted a political posture on labour matters… which backfired and cost residents billions,” wrote Mashaba.
The ActionSA leader referenced a Labour Court ruling that forced the City of Tshwane to pay R2 billion in accrued wage obligations after the DA failed to honour agreements with workers.
“This nearly bankrupted the city, an expensive exercise in political theatre indeed.”
‘Joburg is not Cape Town’
The letter also takes aim at what it describes as the DA’s attempt to replicate Cape Town-style governance in Johannesburg.
“You see, Helen, Joburg is not like Cape Town,” he wrote. “They are very different cities with completely different cultures.”
Mashaba argued that Johannesburg requires a more collaborative approach with labour, noting that municipal workers are “allies in driving a more stable and effective service delivery reality,” rather than political tools.
Call for negotiation, not confrontation
While criticising both the ANC and the DA, the ActionSA leader positioned his party as offering a more pragmatic solution — one rooted in negotiation rather than confrontation.
“The solution… cannot be to deny that a legal obligation exists,” he wrote. “The solution lies in bringing unions to the negotiating table… against the backdrop of the city’s financial position.”
He pointed to ActionSA’s governance record in Tshwane as evidence that such an approach can stabilise finances while maintaining labour relations.
A personal and political rebuke
The letter closes with a pointed critique of Zille’s leadership style and political positioning in Johannesburg.
“It is clear you lack the humility to understand that an elected mayor must work with a range of key stakeholders to govern a city as complex as Joburg,” he wrote.
In a particularly sharp remark, Mashaba added: “The National Party was governing the country when you last lived here.”
As a parting shot, the ActionSA leader invited Zille to give him a call to help her understand Joburg better. Mashaba and Zille who both have their eyes on the Joburg mayoral chain, have not seen eye to eye ever since the former left the DA in 2019 after serving as Joburg mayor from 2016 under the party's banner.
Mashaba left the DA shortly after Zille's election as DA Federal Council chaiperson and launched ActionSA.
The escalating war of words signals a fiercely contested battle ahead for control of South Africa’s economic hub, with labour relations, fiscal discipline and service delivery emerging as central campaign fault lines. - Sunday Tribune Reporter
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