{
  "id": 14973108,
  "title": "OUR CITY NEWS: Herman Mashaba targets illegal immigration in bid for Joburg mayoralty",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/our-city-news-herman-mashaba-targets-illegal-immigration-in-bid-for",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-16T14:38:54.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Maverick",
    "slug": "daily-maverick",
    "url": "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-10-16-herman-mashaba-targets-illegal-immigration-in-bid-for-joburg-mayoralty/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Herman Mashaba, a candidate for the mayoralty of Johannesburg, is firmly focused on addressing illegal immigration as a critical issue in his campaign. Mashaba, a former mayor of Johannesburg, believes that undocumented migrants pose a threat to the city and the nation, and has repeatedly emphasized this sentiment throughout his political career. His party, ActionSA, has even adopted \"Gatvol? Let us fix it!\" as its campaign slogan, highlighting the frustration many citizens feel towards the deteriorating state of Johannesburg under successive administrations.\n\nDuring an interview, Mashaba discussed his plans to establish a dedicated municipal police unit to combat undocumented migration. He further promised to collaborate with Home Affairs and labor authorities to identify and remove undocumented individuals from the city. Mashaba has described undocumented migrants as a significant threat, associating them with drug trafficking, counterfeit goods, organized crime, and even the financing of international terrorist organizations.\n\nMashaba's rhetoric goes beyond immigration enforcement and often incites xenophobic sentiments. He has been accused of promoting xenophobia in the past, including the false claim that South Africa has 15 million undocumented migrants in 2020, which he later apologized for. Despite these controversies, Mashaba remains committed to his vision of transforming Johannesburg through stricter financial management, professional administration, private investment, and stronger law enforcement.",
  "summary": "ActionSA leader and Joburg mayoral candidate Herman Mashaba’s ambitions for the city are inseparable from his resentment towards the political parties he once worked with and his increasingly confrontational approach to immigration.",
  "key_points": [
    "Herman Mashaba, former Johannesburg mayor, targets illegal immigration in mayoral campaign.",
    "Plans to create dedicated police unit to combat undocumented migration.",
    "Accused of promoting xenophobia in past statements."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}