logo
Helen Zille on Joburg mayoral run: 'I have unfinished business'

Helen Zille on Joburg mayoral run: 'I have unfinished business'

Democratic Alliance (DA) federal council chairperson Helen Zille says she has unfinished business in Johannesburg as she is considering becoming the metro municipality's first citizen.
Over the weekend, reports surfaced that Zille is considering running for mayor in the embattled City of Johannesburg in the 2026 local government elections.
Johannesburg, which is South Africa's economic capital, has been on the decline in recent years. High levels of crime, water and electricity woes, non-functional traffic lights, potholes and deteriorating infrastructure have gripped the once prestigious city of gold which has had close to 10 mayors since the 2016 local government elections.
Zille was born and bred in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, where she worked for the Rand Daily Mail as a journalist during apartheid. She has served as the leader of the Blue Party from 2007 to 2015 and also served as the Premier of the Western Cape for two five-year terms.
In an interview with Radio 702 on Monday morning, Zille said she would consider being mayor because South Africa can't succeed if Johannesburg remains broken as it is the country's economic capital, and it must be fixed.
'South Africa can be on the road to success but we've got to fix it bit by bit and I've always said that's gonna start with local government. That's why we put all our eggs into trying to win somewhere at the local level, demonstrating better governance and building from there, from the bottom up. I've always said that is the way to transform South Africa and that is what we're doing,' she said.
The former Cape Town mayor said although Johannesburg is a different kettle of fish it is primarily the reason why it is much more broken than Cape Town was in 2006 when she was at the helm.
'The voters of Johannesburg have to make a choice, do they want race or do they want services? Do they want good governance? Do they want investment, jobs and a turn around that would get people out of poverty,' she asked.
There have been mixed reactions to Helen Zille's desire to run for Joburg mayor, as the metro's former mayor and former DA member Herman Mashaba has criticised the idea.
Mashaba took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his views on the matter.
'If Helen is about fixing, let her start in Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Michelle's Plain, Langa, and other townships in the Cape. I cannot believe that the DA has no confidence in black leadership. They have officially abandoned their so-called Experience. They want black support, but no black leadership,' he posted.
Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1
Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'We don't want Helen Zille as mayor': Ntsiki Mazwai
'We don't want Helen Zille as mayor': Ntsiki Mazwai

The South African

time2 hours ago

  • The South African

'We don't want Helen Zille as mayor': Ntsiki Mazwai

Outspoken media personality Ntsiki Mazwai has called for South Africans to reject former DA leader Helen Zille's plans to run for mayor of Joburg. Known for her controversial comments, the Moja Love star has gone as far as to call the 74-year-old a 'white supremacist'. Last week, the woman dubbed 'GodZille' confirmed that she was contemplating the monumental task of 'saving' Johannesburg. In a viral X post, Ntsiki Mazwai appealed to South Africans to reject Helen Zille's Joburg mayoral bid. She said: 'We cannot afford to have Helen Zille as mayor of Joburg. She is 100 million times worse than Cyril Ramaphosa. 'She is a white supremacist, and if you look at the Western Cape, you'll see that black people are abused there. They live in s**t conditions. She wants to bring that to Joburg'. Ntsiki – who has repeatedly called out politicians, particularly from the SA, added: 'She comes from a traumatic past for black people and she is triggering. We don't want her, she can go and retire, it's good'. She added that voting for Helen Zille as Joburg's next mayor would be 'a huge and scary mistake that would negatively impact the black masses' In another comment, Ntsiki agreed with her followers that the current mayor, Dado Morero of the ANC, was not the best option for the city. 'Anyone is better than Dada, guys. Helen is still not the answer', she posted. While Ntsiki Mazwai has rejected Gozille's ambitions, others are supporting it. In a tweet that also went viral, author Khaya Dlanga urged South Africans to give Helen Zille a chance, claiming that she offered a 'real, visible alternative' Anti-Apartheid activist Adam Habib stated that Helen was 'Johannesburg's best hope'. He added: 'Joburg needs water, power, roads, and frankly, governance. No one else has delivered it. Zille can!' Actor Siv Ngesi added, 'Jozi is such a huge mess, even the locals who hate @helenzille know that this would be the best thing for that dump of a place!' Speaking to eNCA, Helen Zille claimed that she had until Friday to officially submit her application to contest her bid as Johannesburg mayor. The DA's selection panel would then pick a suitable candidate from several names, including Zille's. 'Joburg is my hometown. I was born in Hillbrow, which looks very different than what it does today. Joburg was a functional city that I love and believe is the powerhouse of South Africa. Its health and its functionality is make or break for South Africa.' She added: 'If Joburg doesn't succeed, South Africa does not succeed.' Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 .

Dear Minister George, deliver us from the ‘rhino wars' and lead us to ‘convivial conservation'
Dear Minister George, deliver us from the ‘rhino wars' and lead us to ‘convivial conservation'

Daily Maverick

time2 hours ago

  • Daily Maverick

Dear Minister George, deliver us from the ‘rhino wars' and lead us to ‘convivial conservation'

South Africa's pervasive 'rhino war' rhetoric distracts us from addressing the root causes of poaching. We urgently need alternative conservation philosophies, practices and policies to tackle wildlife crime. In January 2025, conservationists were honoured to have you, Mr Dion George, Minister of the Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, at a two-week conservation management course in the Greater Kruger area. Following this, you assured South Africans that ' poachers' reign of terror on South African wildlife is coming to an end ', that the ' plundering of our natural resources ' would not be tolerated, and affirmed a 'renewed zero-tolerance stance on all forms of poaching'. Commended for your ' bold stance on poaching ', you instructed your legal teams to oppose bail for any poachers caught within national parks to ' send a clear message that poaching is economic sabotage, and those who engage in it will face the full might of the law '. You praised rangers as South Africa's ' unsung heroes ' who ' unselfishly place their lives at risk to protect our country's vulnerable wildlife '. Early in March 2025, you reminded the public that rangers were 'at the frontline' of the poaching scourge'. Minister George, we applaud your on-the-ground engagement with conservationists and law enforcement experts. As proud South Africans, we are inspired by a senior public official with an appetite for learning and a desire to act. In a recent press release, you affirm that poaching is a manifestation of transnational wildlife trafficking that requires a global endeavour to disrupt the criminal networks. We could not agree more. All the king's horses and all the king's men However, we are concerned about your reliance on what we call 'rhino rhetoric' — oversimplified narratives and images that frame the scourge of rhino poaching for both conservationists and the public. Rhino rhetoric dominates our media landscape and collective imagination with scenes of fearless, uniformed rangers, with K9s at their side, jumping in and out of helicopters, wielding semi-automatic weapons and other paramilitary paraphernalia. For at least the past 15 years, we have been told by SANParks executives, politicians, celebrities and foreign royalty that poaching is nothing short of a moral war against evil poachers, and that with enough passion, tenacity and firepower, the ' true heroes ' would soon be victorious. As far back as 2008, the Managing Executive of the Kruger National Park, Abe Sibiya, said, ' society cannot stand by and watch helplessly as international criminals declare war on our nation. We all need to defend our heritage with everything we have.' In 2009, Dr David Mabunda, then SANParks CEO, warned poachers that ' their days are numbered ', that ' we will seek them out, we will find them and they will be dealt with. This is a war that we plan on winning'. SANParks went as far as assembling churches to 'pray against rhino poaching' where SANParks' Communication Manager at the time, Mr William Mabasa, confirmed, ' we came here to ask God to intervene in this war '. In 2010, our then Minister of Environmental Affairs called on South Africans to ' stand together in this war on (the scourge) of rhino poaching '. Years passed, but the rhetoric stuck. In 2018, SANParks' Chief Operating Officer warned that ' by plundering the species in national parks and other protected areas, they (poachers) are selling their soul to the devil '. In 2023, SANParks was still ' battling poaching ' and taking ' the fight to rhino poachers '. In 2025, we hear you, Minister George, toeing the same line. The military discourse and where it got us Rhino rhetoric is rooted in timeworn militaristic approaches to protecting biodiversity, often referred to as ' green militarisation'. In South Africa, we have long cast poaching as a one-dimensional security problem that requires a simplistic, singular (and violent) response. This framing is effective in garnering public outrage and hones our attention on the seductive drama of valiant men (and the occasional woman) battling it out in the African bush. While widespread violent encounters and gunfights do occur, and have saved the lives of many rhinos, there is more to the story than gallant conservationists chasing devilish murderers through the African bush. For no matter how expertly rangers detect, ' hunt ' and apprehend poachers, this has not nor will it ' stem the tide against environmental crime '. Militarised approaches to conservation management, despite their rhetorical appeal, have shown limited long-term effectiveness. A 2023 study in the Greater Kruger landscape surveyed diverse rhino protection strategies in 11 conservation areas and found that paramilitary interventions, like ranger deployment and using K9 tracker dogs, were less effective than dehorning rhinos. The study details how between 2017 and 2021, when a militarised approach was in full swing, more than R1-billion was dedicated to anti-poaching activities — with R660-million of that spent in Kruger Park alone. Yet, the scourge continued. Since 2013, the year after SANParks appointed a military expert to convert Kruger's rangers into a ' paramilitary force capable of taking the fight to poachers ', the park lost 59% of its rhino population to poaching. Despite state-of-the art detection technology coupled with exceptional rapid-response teams, infiltration by rhino poachers — typically disaffected and exploited young men — remains high. Governance: the real rhino frontline Minster George, you know that the 'frontline' of poaching extends far beyond the boundaries of vast protected areas patrolled by rangers and K9s. Let us delve into the more mundane world of social systems, structures and governance. The act of killing an individual rhino is a result of transnational organised crime enabled by our country's economic inequality, historical injustices, tenuous relationships between local people and protected areas, the hollowing out of criminal investigations capacity, and broader governance challenges. Addressing these underlying factors, though not as vivid as scrambling helicopters and releasing hounds, is crucial to finding long-term solutions. Yes minister, our protected areas need you to visit more often — accompanied by your counterparts from land reform, agriculture, education, cooperative governance, finance, health, police, social development, trade, water and sanitation, women and youth. Is there political will to address the core causes of our environmental challenges? Our ministers — you and your colleagues — do, after all, have the mandate, power and resources to transform our country's governance shortfalls. These are the very problems that enable crime syndicates to gain control over poaching grounds and trafficking routes. To safeguard South Africa's natural resources — whether rhinos or abalone or succulent plants — a paradigm shift in focus is required, from incidents (a bludgeoned rhino lies dead in Kruger Park) towards systems (corrupt officials steal millions intended for school infrastructure for communities bordering the park). Minister George, are you prepared to also oppose bail for the (yet unprosecuted) thousands of corrupt officials who have plundered our country's financial resources, contributing directly to our governance woes, and indirectly to the poaching scourge? Will you consider urging your police minister colleague to target high-level poaching bosses, wildlife traffickers and the corrupt facilitators in airports, courts and police stations who empower them? If the (unfortunate) war metaphor must be wielded, are unethical government officials not our most insidious economic saboteurs, requiring nothing other than a bold stance and zero tolerance? Innovations in tackling organised wildlife crime Your ministry and department is already leading change: supporting long-term safety and security for wildlife and local people under initiatives such as the Integrated Wildlife Zones programme, rooted in the new National Integrated Strategy for Combating Wildlife Trafficking. We need this increased focus on wildlife trafficking as a transnational organised crime, requiring multidisciplinary, cross-border solutions to dismantle illicit value chains. Your team's recently formed Environmental Enforcement Fusion Centre draws on evidence from the SADC region that specialist investigations halt wildlife crime, with a broader and more sustainable impact than only ranger-led anti-poaching work. Well-trained, suitably equipped, and armed rangers have a crucial role to play, but only within a holistic, systems approach. Innovative, cross-sectoral initiatives are already under way and deserve more publicity and financial backing. For example, a prominent conservation NGO in the Greater Kruger historically adopted a narrow focus on military responses to poaching. However, through visionary leadership and concepts such as the Integrated Wildlife Zones, private nature reserves, local communities, civil society and government now collaborate to transform the Greater Kruger landscape into a ' safer place for people and for rhinos '. The unintended effects of valorising rangers Minister George, your public utterances consistently portray rangers as brave, dedicated individuals fighting a noble cause. For many rangers, this rings true, but again, there is more to the story. A recent study chronicles the hidden costs of framing conservation efforts, specifically the fight against poaching, as a 'war'. While it might seem intuitive to idealise rangers as 'soldiers' on the front lines, endowing them with a heroic mantle, this approach can unexpectedly backfire in ways that undermine the very cause it intends to champion. The constant public pressure on protected area managers and rangers to produce a quick and decisive 'victory', the sheer relentlessness of their struggle, and the constant exposure to fatigue, violence and trauma, has bred disillusionment and dark cynicism. As a result, frontline conservationists experience a profound loss of perspective that narrows their focus to mere 'survival mode'. The 'war' mentality has led to wide-scale burnout and a fixation on enforcing the law. Protected area managers lose sight of broader conservation goals and the possibility of alternative solutions. Crucially, casting rangers as heroes and poachers as villains is a binary and limiting framing that distracts us from tackling the complex social, economic and political drivers of poaching. Simon Sinek's Infinite Game approach offers a helpful alternative that can motivate rangers by shifting their perspective from a finite 'war' to a more fulfilling and sustainable practice. This involves reframing their purpose and meaning by focusing on a just cause that goes beyond solely defeating poachers. Additionally, promoting resilience helps rangers adapt to changing circumstances and view setbacks not as lost battles, but as opportunities for learning. Towards conviviality Convivial conservation is a global movement aimed at transforming conservation practices and policies. Drawing on the concept of 'conviviality', it emphasises inclusivity, reciprocity and fairness. It champions a move away from exclusionary and coercive approaches towards more collaborative strategies co-developed between diverse actors and sectors. Minister, please consider how such an approach could help us rethink the 'rhino war', so we can: Tell better, more nuanced stories: we need to recognise and communicate the complexities surrounding wildlife crime if we are going to collectively imagine a more sophisticated response to it. Direct resources not just at law enforcement but also towards initiatives that address poaching's root causes: no animal or asset in any reserve will ever be safe if they are surrounded by socioeconomic deprivation, inequality, corruption, and organised criminal networks. Bolster good governance on 'this' and 'that' side of the fence: local communities, municipalities, businesses, traditional authorities, and both park and law enforcement agencies need to view each other as neighbours in a shared landscape, with shared challenges and interests. The Integrated Wildlife Zones initiative is a positive step in that direction. Promote a more supportive and equitable work environment for rangers: we need realistic societal expectations about what rangers can achieve in the face of transnational criminal networks. In addition, rangers need better pay, decent housing, sufficient training and equipment, and culturally appropriate psychosocial support. Minister George, declaring more wars will not save our threatened biodiversity. Valorising field rangers and having them bear the brunt of South Africa's governance failures — and leaving them to endure the emotional and physical scars — is not sufficient. Let us expand our strategies beyond combative reactions to swiftly and fairly tackle organised crime and governance challenges for the benefit of wildlife, their guardians, and the millions of people living on the fringes of protected areas. DM Dr Lindie Botha is a social scientist working to mitigate the negative impacts of wildlife crime on biodiversity and people. Alastair Nelson leads Conservation Synergies, a non-profit that supports governments and their partners to use approaches from other fields to solve complex problems and improve conservation impact. Eldred de Klerk is a comparative policing and social conflict specialist who focuses on conflict resolution, violence prevention, rule of law and security sector reform.

War of words between AfriForum and Steenhuisen over farm murders
War of words between AfriForum and Steenhuisen over farm murders

IOL News

time3 hours ago

  • IOL News

War of words between AfriForum and Steenhuisen over farm murders

AfriForum's community safety spokesperson Jacques Broodryk has criticised Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen. Image: afriforum A heated exchange has erupted between AfriForum's Jacques Broodryk and DA leader John Steenhuisen over the prioritisation of farm attacks and murders. Last month President Cyril Ramaphosa, along with some of his cabinet ministers, including Steenhuisen who is Minister of Agriculture, visited US president Donald Trump in Washington to fend off false claims of white genocide in South Africa. However, Trump ambushed the group with videos and articles to prove that white farmers were being targeted for their land. Steenhuisen, speaking at that meeting, reiterated that he was working with the police ministry to curb farm killings in the country. 'As the Minister of Agriculture it is something that I am particularly exercised with my colleagues at police and my colleagues in the justice cluster to stop, making farm attacks and stock theft a priority crime. And it affects all farmers in South Africa,' Steenhuisen said at the Oval office. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ The controversy stems from Steenhuisen's recent statements in the US, where he emphasised the need to declare farm attacks and stock theft priority crimes. According to Broodryk, Steenhuisen's words are nothing more than empty promises, and it's time for him to take concrete action. "It is unfortunate that it took a humiliating meeting with the leader of the US for the Minister of Agriculture to come to his senses and finally admit that farm attacks and murders should be declared a priority crime," Broodryk wrote in a statement. "This is despite the issue being ignored until now." Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen hits back at Afriforum over farm murders. Image: Henk Kruger/Independent Newspapers Broodryk's sentiments are rooted in AfriForum's long-standing call for farm attacks to be prioritised, a plea they consider to have fallen on deaf ears. The organisation's research reveals that more than 95% of all farm attack and murder incidents remain unsolved, with convictions made in only 66 cases out of 1,402 incidents recorded between 2019 and 2022. According to Broodryk the crux of the issue lies in the government's refusal to prioritise farm attacks, despite the severity and frequency of these crimes. Broodryk contends that other crimes, such as rhino poaching and cash-in-transit heists, have been given priority status, while farm attacks are neglected. "While rhino poaching is considered a priority crime and political murders receive special attention through dedicated task teams, farm attacks do not receive the same treatment," he said. "Clearly, politicians' lives are considered much more important than those of our farmers." In contrast, Steenhuisen claims that his office has been working with the Minister of Police's office to address farm attacks. "There has been collaboration between my office and the Minister of Police's office, including a joint parliamentary portfolio committee meeting between Agriculture and Police," Steenhuisen said. He also said he highlighted the issue of farm attacks in his speech during the State of the Nation Address (SONA) months before his Washington visit. Steenhuisen fired back at Broodryk, saying that he had been working behind the scenes to address farm attacks and that AfriForum's accusations were unfounded. "It is simply not true that I first raised this issue in the Oval Office," Steenhuisen said. "If the gentleman concerned had taken time to meet with me before shooting from the hip, I could have told him of the numerous interventions that have taken place and are yet to take place."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store