Ekurhuleni city manager Kagiso Lerutla has been arrested on charges of fraud, corruption and defeating the ends of justice linked to a 2019 incident, prompting growing calls for his immediate suspension.
Lerutla’s case was postponed to Thursday for a bail application. ActionSA has joined the calls for his removal, with party spokesperson Tumelo Tshabalala stating that the arrest highlights serious shortcomings in the city’s governance.
In an interview, Tshabalala described the development as evidence of the calibre of leadership in one of South Africa’s key metropolitan municipalities. He welcomed the progress of the justice system in addressing a matter that had remained concealed since 2019 and thanked the Madlanga Commission and law enforcement agencies for holding officials accountable.
Tshabalala criticised the city’s response to the arrest as “very weak”. He noted that while the mayor had appointed an acting city manager, no action had been taken to suspend Lerutla. “If we had a decisive leader in a mayor, if we had a decisive leadership overall in the city, we wouldn’t even be calling for such a suspension. He should have been suspended already,” Tshabalala said.
He emphasised the importance of transparency and accountability in restoring public confidence in local government, particularly at a time when many residents have lost faith and are disengaging from the electoral process. Decisive action in this case, he argued, would demonstrate that elected representatives can still be trusted.
Reflecting on Ekurhuleni’s history of coalition governments, Tshabalala acknowledged that coalitions are difficult to manage. He recalled ActionSA’s own 2021 coalition experience with the Democratic Alliance, which did not succeed, and called for tighter regulation of coalition arrangements to deliver better governance.
Tshabalala pointed out that the officials facing charges today have long been part of the city administration, noting that Lerutla was previously the group chief financial officer. “For every electoral cycle, the only offices that really change are the political offices and not necessarily the administration,” he said. “Whether any political party comes in — be it a coalition or an absolute majority — they would still be dealing with such individuals.”
He explained that oversight in council is ultimately “a numbers game”, with ActionSA holding only 15 seats and often finding itself outvoted on key items. Despite this, the party has consistently opposed proposals it believes do not promote good governance.
On broader reforms needed to prevent similar incidents in municipalities, Tshabalala stressed the importance of educating voters so that parties genuinely committed to residents’ wellbeing can secure strong mandates. He warned that coalitions involving multiple parties often lead to trade-offs that ultimately harm residents, while a metro led by only two parties would bring greater stability.
ActionSA has already petitioned the speaker of council to convene an extraordinary meeting to suspend Lerutla. If that does not occur, the party intends to table a formal motion at the scheduled council meeting at the end of this month. Tshabalala described the move as essential to demonstrating decisive leadership and rebuilding trust in the local government system.