Black Like Me founder and Democratic Alliance’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate, Herman Mashaba, has been highly criticized for his comments on leadership.

“It is interesting that you can expect poor people to be the leaders. That is looking for trouble, in any given situation,” Mashaba said during an interview with SABC on Monday.

“When you’re putting someone in charge of handling big budgets… The budget of the city of Johannesburg is R40 billion plus, you put in someone who’s never really seen R100 in his life,” he continued.

Mashaba has been condemned for his response and it is purported that he “hates the poor”.

In response to criticism Mashaba stated “In a leadership position, we really need people who understand finances and who know what they are dealing with. If they are saying that I am saying poor people cannot lead, what nonsense is that?”

In the past Mashaba has invested millions to help the lives of the impoverished of South Africa.

“Herman Mashaba equates being poor to poverty of leadership capabilities. He believes the rich are entitled to lead the poor with capitalism,” a Twitter user commented on the situation.

Mashaba has said South Africa is in a calamitous situation especially financially.