EFF’s Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng Presents Radical Plan to Revive Johannesburg

Radical Approach to Johannesburg’s Governance

Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, has pledged to undertake a sweeping overhaul of how the city operates if she is elected after the upcoming local government elections on 4 November 2026. Drawing on her background as a medical doctor and former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, Mofokeng plans to apply what she calls her “surgical approach” to the city’s challenges, signalling a sharp break from past administrations.

A Vision to Restore Essential Services

Central to Mofokeng’s campaign is the immediate restoration of Johannesburg’s essential services. Her priorities include addressing the decline in municipal service delivery, which has seen residents paying more for diminishing returns. She pledges to:

• Establish rapid-response teams that aim to resolve faults and outages within one hour
• Bring problematic water, sanitation and housing projects back on track
• Reclaim full municipal control over electricity billing and revenue
• Stop the ongoing sale of city-owned land

Restoring Accountability and Cutting Bureaucracy

Mofokeng is particularly concerned about Johannesburg’s fragmented municipal structure, which she believes has weakened accountability and rendered service delivery inefficient. The city’s decision to corporatise services into 13 separate bodies is cited as a major factor in the expensive bureaucracy and lack of responsiveness facing residents today.

Burst water mains, persistent electricity outages, crumbling roads, and even substation fires have, according to Mofokeng, become symbols of a city in distress while administrative costs have soared. She decries the city’s slide into financial mismanagement, referencing the most recent qualified audit and R13.3 billion in irregular and fruitless expenditure.

Planned Reforms for Municipal Operations

To address systemic problems, Dr Mofokeng plans to reintegrate all city entities back into direct municipal administration, to:

• Cut duplication and administrative waste
• Strengthen oversight and public accountability
• Publish tenders and enforce firm consequences for corruption
• Empower local, ward-based assemblies to oversee spending

Additionally, she aims to insource cleaning, security, waste, and maintenance services, streamlining the city’s workforce and improving both morale and efficiency. Her plan includes investing in local township economic centres to boost enterprise and employment, particularly among the youth.

Empowering Residents and Supporting Local Businesses

Mofokeng wants Johannesburg to be a city that truly listens to its people. Residents, she states, “should not endure prolonged outages, potholes, unsafe infrastructure and unresponsive officials while costs rise.” She envisions:

• At least 80% of municipal materials to be locally sourced
• 40% of jobs and 50% of procurement opportunities dedicated to young people
• Formalisation of informal settlements, providing secure tenure and free basic services for qualifying households within 90 days

Informal traders would benefit from a one-stop entry point for business registration, and the city would invest in theatres and cultural spaces, recognising that urban wellbeing extends beyond infrastructure.

Coalitions and Political Outlook

While the EFF currently participates in Johannesburg’s government of local unity as a junior partner, Mofokeng says the party does not have access to key decision-making portfolios. She emphasizes that:

“We will work with any party willing to commit to measurable delivery: restoring water, improving electricity reliability, strengthening accountability… The central question is not who governs with whom, but what agreement improves residents’ lives.”

Her preference is a clear EFF majority, but she states that any coalition will be contingent on commitments to public service delivery and transparency.

First 100 Days: Steps for Transformation

Dr Mofokeng outlines an ambitious agenda for her first 100 days in office, structured to show that a new kind of municipal government is possible. Her objectives include:

• Reviewing the city’s financial and operational challenges
• Starting the reintegration of fragmented municipal functions
• Strengthening city oversight mechanisms
• Halting further sales of municipal land
• Deploying rapid-response teams with a strict one-hour target
• Guaranteeing free basic services for eligible indigent households within 90 days
• Expanding procurement and employment opportunities for young people

Background of Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng

Born in QwaQwa, Dr Mofokeng holds medical and health economics qualifications from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and beyond. She is a bestselling author and has served as a commissioner for South Africa’s Commission for Gender Equality.

Her professional and advocacy background strongly informs her approach: treating Johannesburg’s challenges as a matter of urgent, expert intervention, echoing her belief that “a city should answer when its people call.”

The 2026 Johannesburg mayoral race is set to be influenced by the bold proposals and distinct leadership style offered by Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng. As Johannesburg heads to the polls, the focus will be on whether her “scalpel-like” approach to governance can win the confidence of residents and deliver the fundamental changes she promises for the city’s future.