ActionSA's Xolani Khumalo promises to clean up Ekurhuleni with bold crime and service delivery plan

As ActionSA’s pick for Ekurhuleni mayor, Xolani Khumalo is pledging to reform city hall, revive services and dismantle the criminal networks he says are suffocating the metro.

But Khumalo's past, from dramatic drug raids to high-profile court cases, raises questions.

Can a former crime-fighting TV host take on the complex world of local government? And will his brand of fearless activism translate into effective leadership?

"South Africa is a country of possibilities and when you put your mind to something you can make it happen", says Khumalo.

Speaking about his vision for Ekurhuleni, Khumalo says the focus must return to fundamentals.

“Our aim is to fix the basics and make sure we give them services that work.”

Khumalo said the party has a ten-point plan, with which it will tackle the biggest challenges facing the metro.

"Residents need jobs, residents need services, residents needs homes that will honour families."

Another focus will be eradicating the criminals and criminality, which Khumalo said have infested the metro.

"Criminality has become a lifestyle."

To confront crime head-on, Khumalo plans to establish specialised units within the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department to target drug syndicates, gangs, and illegal mining.

"Those are the people who are terrorising the communities," he says.

Funding these initiatives, Khumalo says, will come through economic growth.

"It is important to have a city that is investible."

ALSO READ: 'Joburg is entirely salvageable' - Helen Zille, Mayoral candidate

Bongani Bingwa speaks with Xolani Khumalo, ActionSA's mayoral candidate for the Ekurhuleni Municipality. Listen below