Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate eyes ‘clean and competent governance’

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the City of Ekurhuleni has announced Khathutshelo Rasilingwane as its new mayoral candidate for the municipality.

“So today [Friday], I ask every resident of this great city to join the fight in taking our city back. For clean and competent governance. For affordable and reliable basic services. For a growing local economy that attracts investment and creates jobs,” said Rasilingwane on Friday.

This comes ahead of the upcoming local government elections slated for November 2026 or January 2027.

The announcement comes after weeks of speculation that Mike Waters would be a leading contender for the position.

Party insiders had described Waters as an experienced and strong candidate to lead the metro.

DA leaders said the city is in urgent need of powerful leadership as it faces ongoing governance challenges. 

Said the DA's Gauteng leader, Solly Msimanga: "We are here with somebody that is going to lead us in our campaign in Ekurhuleni, somebody who is going to be the champion of service delivery, end corruption, bring jobs, fix infrastructure.

An upbeat Ralisingwane added: “Together, we will rebuild our city. Together, we will make our city a better place to live. And together we will create a prosperous Ekurhuleni.

“That is why I knew from a young age that I could not stay silent, that something had to change. I had to add my voice to the fight against poverty, against indignity, and against a government that had forgotten the very people it was elected to serve.”