Vuyo Zungula, leader of the African Transformation Movement (ATM) and mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, pledged on 15 October 2026 to reopen the Metro Centre within his first 100 days in office and to end the practice of treating the city as a bargaining chip in coalition talks.
Announcing his plan ahead of the local government elections, Zungula said Johannesburg needs an administration that delivers services regardless of political changes, arguing that repeated leadership shifts since the 2021 elections have weakened accountability and broken policy continuity.
Johannesburg Tired of Being a Coalition Bargaining Chip
According to IOL, Zungula did not mince his words about the state of the city's governance.
“Johannesburg cannot continue to function as a political bargaining platform at the expense of its residents. The constant changes in political leadership have undermined policy continuity, weakened accountability and created uncertainty within the administration,” he said.
The ATM leader proposed written coalition agreements with clearly defined service delivery priorities, shared performance targets, dispute-resolution mechanisms and consequences for parties that fail to honour their commitments. For too long, the people of Johannesburg, especially black working-class communities in the townships, have paid the price for elite political games played in Sandton boardrooms while taps run dry in Soweto.
“Coalitions must be built around programmes, not positions,” Zungula said, adding that the city has experienced firsthand what happens when disagreements over leadership and appointments overshadow the responsibility to govern.
Merit-Based Appointments and Clean Governance
Zungula wants to professionalise the municipal administration through merit-based appointments, a move that speaks directly to the cadre deployment practices that have hollowed out state institutions across the country. He pledged to strengthen revenue collection, eliminate wasteful expenditure and tackle corruption head on.
“The interests of Johannesburg residents must take precedence over the interests of coalition partners,” he said.
The corruption question is not abstract. As