Anele Mdoda and Helen Zille on 947’s Anele and the Club breakfast show. Image: Screenshot Anele and The Club on 947.
(The Post News)– Radio host Anele Mdoda got into a heated debate with Democratic Alliance (DA) Federal Chairperson Helen Zille, who is a Johannesburg 2026 mayoral candidate, on her plans to run the city. The discussion touched on race and how Cape Town townships are governed by the DA and has drawn widespread attention.
On Monday morning, the mayoral candidate was challenged by Radio 947’s Anele Mdoda on the “Anele and the Club breakfast” on some of the DA’s governance of Black and colored neighborhoods in Cape Town, which led to a heated debate on race.
Mdoda Alleges Segregation in Cape Town
Mdoda alleged that Cape Town is “segregated,” with certain neighborhoods governed better than others, and challenged Zille’s previous claim that the city is filled with Black refugees from the Eastern Cape. She argued that these factors fail to serve people of color in Johannesburg, which is not as segregated as Cape Town.
She said it makes it difficult for residents—many of whom were not born in the city and would be considered refugees in Zille’s eyes—to connect with Zille’s plans for Joburg. Leading to the viral moment where Mdoda says, “As a Black person living in Johannesburg, Black people struggle to see you wanting to forward them,” to which Zille replied, “When were you elected as the spokesperson for Black people?”
Zille Claims Cape Town is “Well Governed”
Zille clapped back, saying that Cape Town is well governed, leading to more opportunities, which drive up investment and affordability rather than race. She makes an example of herself, saying she lives in an integrated community in Pinelands because she cannot afford to live in Camps Bay.
She also said there is nothing wrong with being a refugee, as her parents were too, and insisted that blame and critique be directed at the circumstances that force individuals to move in search of better opportunities. She referred to the lack of service delivery of water and job opportunities in the African National Congress-run Eastern Cape.
The clip circulating on social media is of the last few minutes of the interview and is the climax of the back-and-forths between the two and Helen insisting that the listeners are asking better questions than Mdoda. Fed up, Mdoda insisted that Helen knows what people are saying about her on Twitter (now X), adding that “People do not trust you to have the interest of Black people at heart.”
Zille, however, insisted that “Twitter is not the voter’s role,” asking Anele not to speak for Black people, as she will also not speak for white people. She insisted that she had done a lot for South Africa to help end apartheid—to which Mdoda pointed out that so have the current leaders—and Zille reverted to the point, saying that people who love their country would not steal its money, causing the country to fall to the ground.
The interview ended with pointed jabs and passive-aggressive remarks. Zille remarked she would have preferred to answer some serious questions rather than engage in back-and-forths, to which Mdoda replied, “Next time, when you are on time, you can answer some serious questions from our listeners.”
Please share your thoughts, contact Lukhona via email: journalist-lukhona@thepostnews.net
About the Author
