The ANC has accused Moya of being 'anti-black' and 'anti-poor'.
Tshwane Mayor Nasiphi Moya at the 2026 state of the capital address at the Unisa Muckleneuk Campus on 16 April 2026 in Pretoria. Picture: Gallo Images/Frennie Shivambu
ActionSA has come to the defence of the mayor of Tshwane, Nasiphi Moya, after the ANC accused her of being “anti-black” and “anti-poor”.
In a recent media statement, ANC Greater Tshwane regional secretary George Matjila slammed Moya and her administration, describing it as “incompetent” with misplaced priorities.
“The African National Congress (ANC) Greater Tshwane Regional Executive Committee (REC) condemns, in the strongest and most unequivocal terms, the declaration of war against black entrepreneurs by executive mayor Nasiphi Moya.
“The municipality’s current campaign is not law enforcement; it is a vicious, anti-black business crusade designed to systematically dismantle the township economy,” said Matjila.
He further said Moya’s governance had “unmasked its deep-seated hostility towards the poorest of the poor”.
“Instead of introducing progressive, pragmatic programmes to help emerging black-owned businesses comply with city regulations, this mayor has chosen the path of economic vandalism.
“The deployment of municipal machinery to smash, bulldoze, and wipe out the informal structures of hardworking citizens is an act of unmitigated cruelty. This administration is actively destroying the hard-earned capital of our people, forcing self-reliant families back into the desperate cycle of poverty and starvation.”
This is not the only public statement that the ANC has unleashed against Moya; there have also been spats between ActionSA members and the ANC leadership in Tshwane.
ActionSA responds to attacks on Moya
ActionSA’s Michael Beaumont believes that the attacks against Moya are related to the Pretoria High Court’s decision to reinstate Tshwane City Manager Johan Mettler. According to reports, there have been several disagreements between ActionSA and the ANC; one of those includes Mettler’s suspension.
“The ANC’s accusations seem to be an emotional and embarrassing knee-jerk reaction to the court outcome pertaining to Johann Mettler, the municipal manager, rather than by-law operations of which Dr Nasiphi Moya has led hundreds without the ANC ever releasing a statement,” said Beaumont.
He said Moya has objectively been the most successful mayor Tshwane has seen in many years.
“Under her leadership, the city has enjoyed an unprecedented period of stability, stabilisation of finances, reduction of debt, increased spend on service delivery priorities and improved audit outcomes.
“Tshwane residents are experiencing these exchanges, notwithstanding a long way still to go, and this stands above the offer any other political party can make in Tshwane to the residents,” he said.
Beaumont said ActionSA notes that the country has entered an era of coalitions, but he says his party will still aim for complete control of municipalities at the upcoming local government elections.
“The growth arising from the success in leading Tshwane will offer the party strong growth prospects, but we live in an era of coalitions and accept this reality.
“We will work with other political parties that can demonstrate a commitment to a shared programme of action of service delivery for all, zero tolerance of corruption, and a commitment to combat the crisis of illegal immigration,” he said.
ActionSA ‘tampering’ with ANC’s constituency
The ANC spokesperson for Greater Tshwane, Joel Masilela Ka Mahlangu told The Citizen on Tuesday that Moya and ActionSA are “tampering” with the ANC’s constituency, which is mainly based in the townships and the poor areas of Tshwane.
“What they are doing is playing politics with us. These are areas that have been loyal to the ANC, and their struggles are close to us as the ANC,” said Masilela Ka Mahlangu.
He also suggested that ActionSA could be attempting to take some of the ANC’s votes.
He said the ANC tried engaging Moya on WhatsApp about its disapproval of her by-law enforcement campaigns in the townships and outskirts of the city, but she only responded with an icon of a South African flag.
“We do not know what that means there could be many interpretations to this,” he said.
Masilela Ka Mahlangu said the ANC will confront ActionSA about Moya’s actions at an upcoming political management committee (PMC) meeting.
“We will not let this go. If she continues with these campaigns, there will be consequences. I am not saying that we will end the marriage with them, but there will be consequences,” he said.
Masilela Ka Mahlangu added that the ANC is not pleased with the Pretoria High Court’s decision to have Johan Mettler return to work as Tshwane city manager. He described Mettler as a DA appointee who was employed to enforce DA policies.
He said the ANC is disappointed in ActionSA’s decision not to vote for Mettler’s suspension at a recent council meeting.
A coalition of ‘chance-takers’
Meanwhile, DA mayoral candidate Cilliers Brink told The Citizen on Tuesday that ActionSA had become entangled in a toxic coalition with the ANC and the EFF.
“ActionSA sold out their voters and the Tshwane metro to the ANC and EFF in exchange for the position of mayor. It was a coalition of chance-takers, which has exposed the nation’s capital to state capture.
“As we are nearing the election, when the voters will have their say, this coalition is now falling apart,” said Brink.
‘Fragility’ of coalitions
However, political analyst Theo Neethling told The Citizen on Tuesday that the latest dispute between ActionSA and the ANC in the City of Tshwane once again illustrates the inherent tensions of coalition governance in South Africa.
“At the same time, this clash is not occurring in isolation. It follows a series of disputes within the Tshwane coalition over senior municipal appointments, governance practices and the direction of the city’s administration, underscoring the fragility of multiparty government.
“Coalition partners frequently find themselves balancing the demands of governance with the need to preserve their own political identities, and disagreements that might otherwise be managed internally increasingly spill into the public domain,” said Neethling.
He said with South Africa steadily approaching the next local government elections, the political incentives for coalition partners are also changing.
“ActionSA and the ANC may govern together in Tshwane, but they remain direct competitors for many of the same urban voters. As election campaigning gathers momentum, both parties have strong reasons to sharpen their policy differences rather than project unity.
“For the ANC, criticism of municipal enforcement actions may resonate with constituencies that view the raids as disproportionately affecting vulnerable entrepreneurs and informal traders.
“For ActionSA, firm bylaw enforcement reinforces its longstanding political message that municipalities must uphold the rule of law, combat illegal activity and restore effective local governance,” said Neethling.
