The City of Ekurhuleni has appointed Moja Love’s Sizok’thola presenter and ActionSA’s Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate, Xolani Khumalo, as the new Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Community Services and By-Law Enforcement, following a mayoral committee reshuffle announced on Tuesday night.
The announcement landed with immediate force. Social media lit up within hours, splitting into two familiar camps. On one side were residents who sounded genuinely hopeful, saying they want firmer by-law enforcement and a metro that finally feels managed. On the other were those who warned that the appointment brings heavy political baggage and unavoidable controversy into a portfolio already under pressure.
A reshuffle that shifts the coalition picture
The reshuffle, led by Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, has also unsettled the metro’s already delicate coalition landscape. In local government, these changes are rarely just administrative. They carry political meaning, and they often signal new alliances, new power balances, and new tensions waiting to surface.
That tension quickly became visible, with ActionSA publicly distancing itself from the appointment and indicating that Khumalo would not be joining the mayoral committee. The fallout has added to broader uncertainty inside the coalition arrangement, with parties jostling for position while residents watch and ask a blunt question: will any of this translate into better governance?
Public expectations: illegal land occupation, by-law violations, and safety
Khumalo’s new portfolio places him at the centre of issues that affect people’s daily lives in an immediate, street-level way. This is the department residents look to when they want action on by-law compliance, public cleanliness, safer neighbourhoods, and visible enforcement that does not fade after the cameras move on.
Supporters argue that his appointment could bring a tougher stance on illegal dumping, alleged land invasions, non-compliance with municipal regulations, and crime hotspots that have long frustrated communities. There is a growing sense across the metro that patience is thinning, and people want practical, consistent enforcement that restores order without turning into chaos.
Even among those welcoming the move, the optimism comes with caution. Many are saying the same thing in different words: it is one thing to appoint a high-profile figure, but the real proof will be in the first clear plan, the first measurable results, and the first signs that the metro is serious about follow-through.
Legal controversy follows Khumalo into office
Khumalo is a familiar face to South Africans because of Sizok’thola, a programme focused on crime and community safety where he has built a national profile confronting alleged drug dealers and exposing suspected criminal networks. For many viewers, that visibility has made him a symbol of direct action, someone unafraid to go where others hesitate.
But his public profile has also been shaped by repeated legal controversy. In recent weeks, the Nigerian Union South Africa called for the arrest of Khumalo and the Sizok’thola crew, alleging they assaulted seven individuals during a drug-related operation where Emeka Clement Uzor was shot and killed following allegations that he was a drug kingpin.
This is not Khumalo’s first encounter with law enforcement. Earlier this year, he handed himself over to SAPS and was charged with assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and pointing a firearm. Despite the allegations, ActionSA previously said it would not suspend him.
The City of Ekurhuleni has appointed Moja Love’s Sizok’thola presenter and ActionSA’s Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate, Xolani Khumalo, as the new Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Community Services and By-Law Enforcement, following a mayoral committee reshuffle announced on Tuesday night.
The announcement landed with immediate force. Social media lit up within hours, splitting into two familiar camps. On one side were residents who sounded genuinely hopeful, saying they want firmer by-law enforcement and a metro that finally feels managed. On the other were those who warned that the appointment brings heavy political baggage and unavoidable controversy into a portfolio already under pressure.
A reshuffle that shifts the coalition picture
The reshuffle, led by Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, has also unsettled the metro’s already delicate coalition landscape. In local government, these changes are rarely just administrative. They carry political meaning, and they often signal new alliances, new power balances, and new tensions waiting to surface.
That tension quickly became visible, with ActionSA publicly distancing itself from the appointment and indicating that Khumalo would not be joining the mayoral committee. The fallout has added to broader uncertainty inside the coalition arrangement, with parties jostling for position while residents watch and ask a blunt question: will any of this translate into better governance?
Public expectations: illegal land occupation, by-law violations, and safety
Khumalo’s new portfolio places him at the centre of issues that affect people’s daily lives in an immediate, street-level way. This is the department residents look to when they want action on by-law compliance, public cleanliness, safer neighbourhoods, and visible enforcement that does not fade after the cameras move on.
Supporters argue that his appointment could bring a tougher stance on illegal dumping, alleged land invasions, non-compliance with municipal regulations, and crime hotspots that have long frustrated communities. There is a growing sense across the metro that patience is thinning, and people want practical, consistent enforcement that restores order without turning into chaos.
Even among those welcoming the move, the optimism comes with caution. Many are saying the same thing in different words: it is one thing to appoint a high-profile figure, but the real proof will be in the first clear plan, the first measurable results, and the first signs that the metro is serious about follow-through.
Legal controversy follows Khumalo into office
Khumalo is a familiar face to South Africans because of Sizok’thola, a programme focused on crime and community safety where he has built a national profile confronting alleged drug dealers and exposing suspected criminal networks. For many viewers, that visibility has made him a symbol of direct action, someone unafraid to go where others hesitate.
But his public profile has also been shaped by repeated legal controversy. In recent weeks, the Nigerian Union South Africa called for the arrest of Khumalo and the Sizok’thola crew, alleging they assaulted seven individuals during a drug-related operation where Emeka Clement Uzor was shot and killed following allegations that he was a drug kingpin.
This is not Khumalo’s first encounter with law enforcement. Earlier this year, he handed himself over to SAPS and was charged with assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and pointing a firearm. Despite the allegations, ActionSA previously said it would not suspend him, describing the charges as false and politically motivated.
In 2024, his activism became entangled in a high-profile legal case following a confrontation in Katlehong that resulted in the death of Robert “Kicks” Varrie, a suspected drug dealer.
What happens next
With the appointment now public, attention shifts to what comes next. Residents want to see official plans, clear priorities, and a visible approach to enforcement that feels lawful, consistent, and effective. They also want reassurance that political turbulence will not distract from service delivery.
For many communities across Ekurhuleni, this moment feels like a turning point, either toward stronger governance and safer streets, or toward another cycle of headlines without change. The MMC’s office now carries that expectation, and the metro will be judged by what happens on the ground, not what is promised on paper.
bing the charges as false and politically motivated.
In 2024, his activism became entangled in a high-profile legal case following a confrontation in Katlehong that resulted in the death of Robert “Kicks” Varrie, a suspected drug dealer.
What happens next
With the appointment now public, attention shifts to what comes next. Residents want to see official plans, clear priorities, and a visible approach to enforcement that feels lawful, consistent, and effective. They also want reassurance that political turbulence will not distract from service delivery.
For many communities across Ekurhuleni, this moment feels like a turning point, either toward stronger governance and safer streets, or toward another cycle of headlines without change. The MMC’s office now carries that expectation, and the metro will be judged by what happens on the ground, not what is promised on paper.