Gareth Cliff Says ActionSA’s Illegal Immigration Message Was “Heard Loud and Clear” in Gauteng

• Gareth Cliff weighed in on ActionSA's breakthrough performance in the Local Government Elections
• A Political Economy Analyst shared his take on how ActionSA managed to outperform the DA in key urban areas
• Cliff agreed with the analysis, adding that the party's message on illegal immigration was "heard loud and clear"

Broadcaster and former Idols SA judge Gareth Cliff has thrown his weight behind an analysis of ActionSA's stunning performance in the November 2026 elections, calling the party's illegal immigration stance the decisive factor in their rise.

Cliff, who recently praised the party's election showing, was responding to Political Economy Analyst Daniel Silke, who posted on X explaining the mechanics behind the party's breakthrough:

"ActionSA broke through in Gauteng on the back of a powerful illegal immigrant message alongside voters seeking an ANC alternative. It occupies a new (non-Leftist) space away from the ANC in key urban areas, which has eluded the DA despite its more modest gains."

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Cliff kept his reply short and pointed: "Correct. The illegal immigrant message was heard loud and clear."

ActionSA's Gauteng surge

The Local Government Elections have positioned the Herman Mashaba-led party as arguably the biggest story of the entire vote cycle. ActionSA ran an aggressive, pro-poor campaign that chipped away at ANC strongholds long considered untouchable, flipping more than 53 wards directly from the governing party across Gauteng's major metros.

The gains were particularly striking in working-class township areas, with the party recording clean sweeps in places like Tembisa, Mndeni in Soweto, and Atteridgeville. Projected vote share figures place ActionSA at roughly 23% in Tshwane, with between 15% and 19% in Johannesburg.

What makes ActionSA's performance significant is where those votes came from. For years, opposition parties struggled to convert township frustrations into actual ballot support, often seen as either too corporate or ideologically misaligned with working-class voters.

Mashaba's platform combined strict border control messaging with promises of municipal accountability and locally focused economic recovery. That combination appears to have unlocked a voter bloc that neither the ANC nor the DA could claim: non-leftist, urban, and deeply dissatisfied with the status quo.

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Political commentators have noted that by occupying this ideological gap, ActionSA now finds itself as a potential kingmaker in coalition negotiations across both Johannesburg and Tshwane, with final talks expected to unfold over the coming weeks.

See Gareth Cliff's post below.

Xolani Khumalo secures Ward 6 victory

In an earlier report, Briefly News shared online reactions to Xolani Khumalo securing votes in Ward 6, well ahead of his nearest political challenger.

Supporters took to social media to congratulate the former Sizok'thola host after he shared his significant achievement online.

Source: Briefly News