‘I won’t debate Zille’: Mashaba hits back over Johannesburg row - IOL

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has ruled out a debate with Helen Zille, revisiting their political clashes over his Johannesburg mayoral tenure and the EFF’s role in his administration.

ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has refused to debate DA leader Helen Zille, accusing her of launching a “smear campaign” after he declined to engage with her.

Mashaba said his decision was not about him personally, but about Johannesburg residents, insisting that the city needed leadership focused on service delivery, law and order, and creating opportunities.

“I will not be dragged into political theatre designed to create division and instability when our city needs leadership focused on fixing the basics, restoring law and order and creating opportunity,” Mashaba said.

In a video addressing the dispute, Mashaba said he did not want to be “anywhere near” Zille because of what he described as her role in the collapse of Johannesburg during his administration.

“I will never want to be anywhere near a person responsible for collapsing the city of Johannesburg during my administration in cohort with the ANC and the Institute of Race Relations,” he said.

The video also included footage of Zille discussing Mashaba’s tenure as Johannesburg mayor and criticising his approach to governing the city.

Zille referred to Mashaba as an “EFF mayor” and criticised his administration for using residents’ money to provide services to people who did not pay tax or work.

Mashaba said Zille’s comments suggested that black South Africans who were unemployed did not work by choice and did not pay taxes because they could not afford to. He said he took offence at comments directed at people who looked like him and would not be expected to share a platform with her.

Mashaba said Zille should focus on Cape Town rather than seeking to debate him.

“If she wants to go and debate, let her go and fix Khayelitsha and other areas in which she has completely really failed. Not only failed at the township, but ordinary people in Cape Town are also battling to really survive,” he said.

Zille said Mashaba was facing a vote of no confidence brought by the ANC, which she said would have been supported by members of the DA caucus because of his leadership style.

She said Mashaba could only remain mayor with the support of the EFF, describing him as having become the party’s mayor.

“The tragedy was that Herman started becoming the EFF's mayor. Julius Malema called Herman the EFF's mayor. Anything Julius wanted he got, from Floyd Shivambu to the Afrirent Fleet contract,” Zille said.

“It was a complete slide away from DA values and an adoption of the EFF's agenda to stay in power. That's not the DA,” she said.

Mashaba disputed Zille’s account of his departure from the DA, saying she had given different explanations when questioned about what happened.

“When asked in two separate interviews why I was pushed to resign as Executive Mayor and the DA, Helen Zille gave two different answers that contradict each other,” Mashaba said.

He also referred to his claim that he had uncovered secret meetings between Zille and the ANC in 2019.

Mashaba described Zille as a “habitual liar”, saying she had flatly denied the meetings when he raised the issue.

He also questioned Zille’s renewed focus on Johannesburg following the 2021 local government elections.

“Why does she suddenly want to come back to Joburg and tell us that she can fix Johannesburg? Let her go and fix Cape Town,” he said.

Mashaba went on to criticise service delivery in Cape Town, particularly in poor communities.

“Right now the City of Cape Town is putting R141 million to build a wall to hide the poor black people who look like me,” he said.

Mashaba said mayors had constitutional obligations to provide services to all residents.

“When you are a mayor, you have constitutional obligations to ensure that you provide services to all,” he said.

He referred to what he said was a recent Constitutional Court statement regarding service delivery in black and coloured communities in the Western Cape, which he said was supported by the Public Protector.

“Now does she want to bring what she failed to do in Cape Town to the city of Johannesburg?” he asked.

Mashaba said he would not debate Zille, adding that he regarded her as “one of the racist South Africans”.

“The DA may choose division; I choose Johannesburg. I am not here to win debates. I am here to fix this city,” Mashaba said.