In a significant legal victory for ActionSA's mayoral candidate for the City of Ekurhuleni, Xolani Khumalo has been found not guilty on all charges. The ruling, which concludes a period of intense legal scrutiny, was announced on 25 June 2026.
The announcement was confirmed by ActionSA Ekurhuleni Regional Chairperson, Cllr Michael Basch, who described the verdict as a confirmation that “justice has prevailed.” The party has consistently maintained its support for Khumalo, characterising the legal challenges he faced as “politically motivated” and a form of “retaliation” by criminal syndicates threatened by his community-focused anti-crime initiatives.
A history of legal battles
Khumalo, who gained national prominence as the host of the television show Sizok'thola, has been embroiled in legal disputes related to his anti-drug activism. ActionSA has argued throughout these proceedings that these cases were attempts to intimidate Khumalo and force him to spend more time in court than in the community “dismantling drug operations”.
Path forward for the Mayoral campaign
With the court case now resolved, ActionSA stated that Khumalo will focus his full attention on his campaign for the upcoming November local government elections. The party positions Khumalo as a candidate ready to deliver services to Ekurhuleni residents and continue his efforts to confront criminality.