Masina who is a former Mayor of the embattled City of Ekurhuleni from 2016 until 2021 denied that he has now divorced the ANC and joined the MK Party.

On Wednesday, reports circulated in mostly on social media that Masina dumped the ANC for the MK Party.

It has come to my attention that there is false information circulating on social media, stating that I, Mzwandile Masina have joined ‘MKP’. I wish to categorically state that this is blatant fabrication, a lie and absolute gossip spread by faceless accounts on social media.

“This is a deliberate attempt to undermine my credentials and use the fabrication to cast doubt, whilst sowing division within the ANC. I have grown through the ranks of the organisation and wish to categorically state that I remain a loyal member of the ANC, my commitment to the ANC can never be put to question by faceless gossipers on social media,” he said.

Masina said that he strongly believe that the ANC remains the only viable instrument to liberate the people of South Africa from all forms of oppression.

“As a member of the ANC NEC, my efforts are centred on regaining the lost ground and instilling confidence in the ANC.

I urge the members of the ANC and the society at large, to not succumb to the sensationalism being stirred by these faceless gossipers and the delusional statements circulating on social media.

My final analysis is that the faceless gossipers are worried about my stability and growth in the ANC, my revolutionary commitment to the ANC is unquestionable and lifelong. I shall never betray the forebears who selflessly fought for the freedom we enjoy today,” he said.

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The post Former Ekurhuleni Municipality Mayor Mzwandile Masina Has Refuted The Claims That He Has Joined The MK Party appeared first on MDNtv.

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.

The post Ekurhuleni appoints Sizok’thola presenter Xolani Khumalo as MMC for Community Services and By-Law Enforcement appeared first on MDNtv.

Replying to questions posed by the DA, the MEC for GDSD, Faith Mazibuko, revealed that 263 elderly abuse cases were reported to the department by concerned citizens, NPOs, family members and victims themselves between January 2020 and June 2025. She further indicated that 18 of these abuse cases originated from various residential centres, with 25 identified perpetrators being caregivers.

These figures are shocking and illustrate a disturbing reality regarding the treatment of people who should be enjoying their twilight years in safety and dignity, but are neglected, mistreated, and abused, often at the hands of those entrusted with their care. Furthermore, these figures demonstrate the department’s failure to properly vet caregivers for our elderly, ensuring they possess the appropriate demeanour and knowledge for their care.

A society is as good as how it treats its most vulnerable; by these standards, Gauteng is not on the right track. The DA will engage MEC Mazibuko to determine measures being taken to ensure the safety of our senior citizens. We want to know what is being done to maintain their safety and welfare, and where possible, criminal cases should be opened against the perpetrators.

A DA-led Gauteng Provincial Government would ensure stronger oversight, enforcement, and widespread public education to foster respect, protection, and care for the elderly in our province. In the interim, we will continue to hold the department accountable, ensuring that none of our elderly are betrayed by the very systems meant to shield them from harm.

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The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Gauteng has already requested the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to investigate Emfuleni for violating residents’ constitutional right to access to water and sanitation services. We are currently awaiting the outcome.

This information about the water leaks and the municipality’s spending was revealed by Gauteng MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (COGTA), Jacob Mamabolo, in a written reply to the DA’s question tabled in the Gauteng Provincial Legislature (GPL).

See full reply here.

It is scandalous that Emfuleni claims to have spent such a huge amount of money repairing water leaks, yet continues to lose millions of kilolitres of clean, treated water daily due to persistent leaks in the ageing infrastructure. Clearly, the money was not spent on resolving the issue that has been undermining efforts to ensure reliable access to water for its residents.

The gravity of the crisis is exacerbated by the fact that Emfuleni senselessly returned R636 million of its Municipal Infrastructure Grant funds in the past five financial years, which were urgently needed for critical infrastructure such as water, sanitation, and roads. Additionally, this municipality has spent R561 million on unnecessary overtime between 2019/2020 and 2023/2024, without any improvement in service delivery, which strongly indicates mismanagement, financial recklessness, or deeply entrenched corruption.

The DA has long called on Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and COGTA MEC Mamabolo to exercise urgent and enhanced oversight over the Emfuleni Local Municipality, which has been marred by financial mismanagement, failed service delivery, and public health risks. Despite these warnings and public outcry, the Premier and the MEC have failed to intervene meaningfully, allowing this municipality to teeter on the brink of total collapse, not due to a lack of funds, but poor leadership.

A DA-led Gauteng Provincial government would ensure that the Department of COGTA and Treasury intervenes to help improve efficiency in Emfuleni’s financial management to ensure that service providers deliver quality work for the benefit of its residents.

The DA will continue to monitor the progress of the South African Human Rights Commission’s (SAHRC) investigation, as we firmly believe it can bring meaningful change for the residents of Emfuleni.

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