The Democratic Alliance’s (DA)’s mayoral candidate for Ekurhuleni Khathutshelo Rasilingwane on Wednesday vowed, ahead of the 2026 local government elections, to implement strict consequence management, professionalise city institutions, and stabilise finances to revive the metro.

Speaking exclusively with Polity on her campaign priorities, Rasilingwane said she was motivated by the current leadership crisis facing the city, assuring that her leadership would be decisive.

“It is going to be a leadership that prioritises its residents as compared to prioritising friendship, family, and cadres… Mine is going to be focused a lot more on servicing our communities simply because of the passion that I have for the people,” she said.

Explaining her passion for the job, Rasilingwane revealed that she hails from an informal settlement in Tembisa, where she grew up with no service delivery in terms of water, electricity and refuse removal.

“… and so that experience truly brought me closer to obviously wanting to get involved and understanding more. It really began in a small shack that did not have water and electricity. And after being raised by a mother that was a street vendor, obviously seeing her work hard to just give us that life truly motivated me,” she said.

Rasilingwane formerly served as a Councillor and an MMC in the City of Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality.

She expressed dissatisfaction at the fact that there were many young people who were still trapped by poverty, adding to her motivation to challenge the status quo in the city.

Rasilingwane stated that her approach to her mayoral nomination was to connect with people by prioritising their needs, regardless of the colour of their skin or their cultural background.

She expressed her committed to fostering an inclusive community, honouring the hard-fought journey toward a united South Africa where citizens embraced one another.

“My strength lies in this combination of grassroots understanding, proven leadership experience in diverse communities, and the meaningful relationships I have built over time,” she said.

PROMISED PRIORITIES

The City of Ekurhuleni has been heavily implicated in the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, with evidence pointing to deep infiltration of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department by criminal syndicates.

Rasilingwane has promised to prioritise the credibility of institutions, by holding those found wanting accountable.

She also has plans to address the city’s massive debt to suppliers, of about R13-billion, and its debt to Eskom, while ensuring that the municipality avoids further threats of power cuts.

She blamed collapsing infrastructure in the city on a lack of leadership that understood the urgency.

Rasilingwane pledged to end the culture of cadre deployment, promising that departments such as water and electricity would be led by qualified professionals.

The municipal council term expires on November 1, with local government elections expected between November 2 and the end of January 2027.