Democratic Alliance (DA) Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate Khathutshelo Rasilingwane has vowed that a future DA-led administration would prioritise affordable electricity and responsive service delivery, as the party seeks to rebuild trust among residents ahead of the local government elections.
At the same time, Rasilingwane has rejected claims that the DA was responsible for the controversial electricity tariff increases that sparked violent protests in Tembisa and ultimately contributed to the removal of former mayor Tania Campbell, arguing that the increases stemmed from an ANC-approved budget inherited by the DA administration.
Speaking to Africa Daily on the sidelines of the party’s mayoral pledge launch on Wednesday, Rasilingwane said residents had been misled into believing the DA was responsible for electricity increases that triggered widespread unrest in 2022.
“The ANC have manipulated people, and at that time they did it for the residents of Tembisa,” she said.
“There are tariffs currently that the ANC-led government in Ekurhuleni are proposing, which we strongly believe as the Democratic Alliance are not tariffs that residents in a city like ours can afford currently.”
Rasilingwane said the DA administration led by Campbell had been forced to operate using a budget adopted before it assumed office.
“When the DA took over, they operated through the ANC budget that they had budgeted for previously. Therefore they pushed the narrative to try and criticise the DA and say it was Tania or the DA government that was actually against the residents of Tembisa,” she said.
Campbell’s tenure was rocked by violent protests in Tembisa in August 2022 after changes to the municipality’s Free Basic Electricity policy resulted in sharp increases in electricity bills for many residents. The unrest became a major political flashpoint and was later used by opposition parties to justify motions of no confidence against her administration.
The DA leader was first removed in October 2022 before briefly returning to office. She was ultimately ousted in March 2023 when an ANC-EFF coalition secured enough votes to remove her.
Rasilingwane argued that the affordability concerns that fuelled the protests remain relevant today, pointing to the municipality’s ongoing struggles to pass its latest budget.
“I am so happy standing here today because many residents of Tembisa are now able to see the true reflection of what is happening with the current budget that has failed to pass four times because we as the Democratic Alliance have been saying there is no way that residents will afford these tariffs in the current state,” she said.
She added that the DA had refused to support the current budget and had submitted alternative proposals aimed at reducing the impact on residents.
“We will not be supporting the budget currently as it is. We have sent proposals to be able to adjust them so that it can accommodate the ordinary resident of Ekurhuleni.”
Rasilingwane acknowledged that the metro faces significant governance and service delivery challenges but argued that residents could not afford another five years under the current coalition government.
📢 Ekurhuleni can work for all, but it needs leadership with a clear plan.
💡Khathu Rasilingwane's five pledges set out a clear plan to create jobs, restore accountability, fight crime and fix the services residents rely on every day. pic.twitter.com/GAakSvtaRh
— Democratic Alliance (@Our_DA) June 10, 2026
“The people of Ekurhuleni have been exposed to the depth of corruption and collapse in terms of government,” she said.
“What I can say to the people of Ekurhuleni is I understand that we have so many challenges ahead of us. However, we cannot wait for another five years of the ANC-EFF-led government to say that because there won’t be budget or money to fix service delivery, we’re going to stand on the sidelines.”
Her remarks come as political parties intensify campaigning ahead of the local government elections, with service delivery, municipal finances and electricity affordability expected to dominate debate across Gauteng metros.
The DA has positioned itself as the alternative government in Ekurhuleni, arguing that restoring financial discipline and improving basic services would allow the city to stabilise tariffs while addressing infrastructure failures.
Rasilingwane said residents should judge the party on its plans to reform the municipality rather than narratives surrounding previous administrations.
“How we’re fighting it is by proposing that they reduce those tariffs so that it doesn’t affect people tomorrow when we take over,” she said.
The DA launched its election pledge this week, promising to improve service delivery, stabilise municipal finances, tackle corruption, strengthen law enforcement and create an environment more conducive to economic growth and job creation.
With Ekurhuleni remaining one of the country’s most contested metros, the battle over who is responsible for the city’s electricity crisis is likely to remain a central issue on the campaign trail in the months ahead.
