Thokozile Mnguni
RISE Mzansi Johannesburg mayoral candidate Lukhona Mnguni has launched his campaign, setting out a plan focused on fixing service delivery, tackling corruption, and restoring trust in Johannesburg’s local government.
The launch took place at Victoria Yards in Johannesburg, where he delivered his address under the theme: “The battle for the heart and soul of Jozi: Why it’s time to Vote Amasela Out!”
He said the campaign was rooted in the need for urgent change.
“We are here because we believe that our country is worth fighting for. We are here because the City of Joburg is worth fighting for,” Mnguni said. “Justice must always prevail, and when injustice persists, good people must rise to secure the future of generations to come.”
Mnguni said Johannesburg needed both infrastructure renewal and institutional reform.
“Today, I stand before you to declare that it is time to CLEAN UP Johannesburg,” he said. “We must clean up the physical infrastructure as much as we must clean up corruption and criminality in this city.”
He warned against what he described as criminal influence in governance.
“We cannot allow the soul of Joburg to be captured by gangsters in suits, by politicians in bed with criminals, and by criminality overtaking good governance,” he said.
Mnguni said his campaign would prioritise young people, safety, and public participation.
“It is time to vote AMASELA out,” he said. “We must be intolerant and very confrontational toward lamasela afuna ukweba ilizwe lethu. AMASELA are the thugs inside the council, in the administration, and on the streets.”
He said improving Johannesburg required more than policing alone.
“The solution is not just more patrolling by the JMPD,” Mnguni said. “We need public spaces that are well-lit, an environment that is maintained, a social fabric that is rebuilt, and a city that works for all communities.”
Mnguni described his campaign as people-driven.
“This is not a campaign of Messiahs or cult-like leaders; this is a people’s campaign,” he said. “This campaign is for the residents of Joburg, by the residents of Joburg.”
He also reflected on arriving in Johannesburg as a student in 2007, saying the city shaped his political journey.
The campaign focuses on service delivery reform, anti-corruption measures, spatial planning, and the restoration of trust in governance.
GOOD Party leader Patricia de Lille has endorsed the RISE–GOOD electoral arrangement, saying the parties are offering a combined alternative for Johannesburg voters.
“As you know, RISE and GOOD are contesting these elections under a combined national campaign and that RISE will be the leading party in Gauteng on the ballot, while GOOD will be the leading party in the Western Cape. Therefore, we are offering a credible alternative,” she said.
She added that both parties represent leadership that is “competent but humble, decisive but humane, strategic but emotionally intelligent.”
Political analyst Kenneth Moeng Kgwadi told The News Desk that South Africans need ethical and capable leadership grounded in an understanding of governance.
He said Mnguni’s decision to enter politics should encourage greater civic participation rather than apathy.
“People like him should take an interest in civic matters and involve themselves rather than handing over power to criminals as we do in every election,” he said.