The Democratic Alliance has announced its Federal Council Chairperson, Helen Zille as its mayoral candidate for Johannesburg. Image: DA.
(The Post News) – The Democratic Alliance (DA) has announced its Federal Council Chairperson, Helen Zille, as its Johannesburg mayoral candidate for the 2026 Local Government Elections. DA leader John Steenhuisen made the announcement on Saturday in Mofolo, Soweto, at the DA’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate announcement.
“And so it is with great pride, and even greater urgency, that I re-introduce to you a daughter of this city, a leader I believe in, someone we can all believe in—your very own DA mayoral candidate for Johannesburg: Helen Zille.”
He said for too long, Joburg residents have suffered through dry taps, sewage spills, power cuts, crumbling roads, and chaotic billing errors. Fixing these things should be a basic function of a municipality. It is non-negotiable. A city as vibrant and resilient as Johannesburg should be thriving, not barely coping.
Steenhuisen blamed the African National Congress (ANC) for everything happening in the city, “Decades of neglect under singular ANC rule, propped up by coalitions of corruption. Cadre deployment, patronage, and narrow political games have hollowed out our municipalities, while you, the people of Johannesburg, suffer.”
“This is not the end of Johannesburg. This is not even the beginning of the end. This is the moment when the people of Joburg say, “The decay stops here; the renewal starts now.” We can take back our city,” he said. Steenhuisen said the next local government election is not DA vs ANC. It is a choice between decay and renewal. It’s about voting against a party that has proven—even to itself—that it cannot and will not put your needs first. And it is about voting for a party that has a proven record of service delivery.
He said everyone knows that the DA governs better. Even the Auditor-General confirms it. And even the ANC’s own president has admitted it, saying, “The municipalities which do best are… DA municipalities.” On Monday President Cyril Ramaphosa conceded that South Africa’s best-run municipalities are those governed by the DA. He said that whilst DA municipalities are good on compliance issues, they fail dismally on transformation, where the ANC does well.
“We are proud of this city. It’s not a playground for corruption. Never again must families queue for hours for water. Never again must we allow this city of gold to be stolen from its people,” said Steenhuisen, urging Joburg residents to vote for the ANC.
Zille accepts the nomination.
Zille officially accepted the nomination to be the mayoral candidate for Johannesburg. She expressed her excitement about the nomination, saying she’s “thrilled” and ready to “do anything to save this city.” Zille highlighted the failures currently plaguing the city of Johannesburg, ranging from power cuts, water cuts, and crime.
According to Zille, Joburg now symbolizes the burden that bad government places on great people. But the good news is that in a democracy, the people have more power than their government, if they will only use it. They can vote for change. They can evict a bad government and demand better.The greatest risk facing Joburg is that her people resign themselves to the path of failure and give up on her promise.
Zille is a South African politician. She has served as the Chairperson of the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance since 20 October 2019. From 2009 until 2019, she was the Premier of the Western Cape province for two five-year terms and a member of the Western Cape Provincial Parliament. She served as Federal Leader of the Democratic Alliance from 2007 to 2015 and as Mayor of Cape Town from 2006 to 2009.
The City of Joburg is currently led by the ANC in a multiparty government.
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