In the DA, upward mobility is conditional

IOL News

16-06-2025

The recent speculation that Helen Zille, the Democratic Alliance's federal chairperson, might be considering a run for Johannesburg mayor in the 2026 local elections is sending shockwaves through both the party and the broader political landscape.
Whether or not Zille has formally applied for the candidacy, the mere suggestion has already reignited longstanding questions about the DA's internal politics, its commitment to transformation, and its approach to leadership in diverse, urban constituencies like Johannesburg.
At the heart of the controversy is the uncomfortable question of race and trust in black leadership within the DA. Over the years, the party has battled to shake off its image as a white-dominated institution, despite earnest efforts at diversification.
Figures like Mmusi Maimane and Solly Msimanga have represented a more inclusive DA, often speaking to communities who've historically felt alienated from the liberal-centrist party. Yet each time the party appears to make headway in this regard, it finds itself retreating — either through resignations, internal coups, or the reassertion of its old guard.
The rumours of Zille's possible candidacy bring this dynamic into sharp relief. If the DA is serious about building a party that reflects the country's demographics and embraces a new generation of leadership, why is it even entertaining the idea of recycling a former party leader — an old white woman whose politics and public statements have defended colonialism and drawn criticism for tone-deafness on race? Johannesburg is no ordinary metro. It is the country's economic engine, its most populous and racially diverse city, and a political minefield riddled with coalition instability, service delivery issues, and deep voter scepticism.
Governing this city requires not just administrative skill, but legitimacy — and that legitimacy must come from a leader who understands, represents, and is trusted by its people.
Solly Msimanga, a former mayor of Tshwane and current senior DA figure in Gauteng, is the kind of leader who arguably fits that profile, so why isn't his name leading the conversation?
Is the DA once again reverting to what many critics call 'the white fallback', where black leadership is embraced in theory, but pushed aside when the real power moves are made? The optics of Zille parachuting into Johannesburg from the Western Cape — where the DA enjoys a strong base — are troubling. It raises the perception that when the DA is in trouble, it turns not to renewal, but to rescue by the old guard.
Worse, it sends a dangerous signal to younger, black leaders in the party: that upward mobility is conditional, that your position is secure only until the party gets nervous, at which point 'the Madam' will step in and take the wheel.
This isn't just about Zille. It's about what her rumoured candidacy represents in the broader context of South African politics. The DA has long presented itself as the alternative to ANC misrule, but if its internal decisions continue to reinforce a top-heavy, Western Cape-centric, and racially skewed power structure, that alternative loses credibility.
Indeed, some within the party are already expressing concern, albeit quietly, about what a Zille candidacy could do to internal cohesion. The DA has worked hard to stabilise itself after a tumultuous few years marked by high-profile departures, electoral setbacks, and growing ideological rifts. The Zille factor remains a divisive one; others view her as a symbol of the party's resistance to change.
Bringing her back into an executive mayoral role — in a city she hasn't lived in for years — risks tearing open old wounds. It could alienate black leaders who have patiently worked their way up the ranks, and who may now question whether there's a ceiling to their ambitions. It could spark fresh factionalism within Gauteng, a province where the DA has struggled to maintain unity and electoral momentum. And it could tarnish the party's public image as it heads into one of its most important elections in a decade.
Zille herself has, in the past, defended her involvement in party processes as being about principles and values, not personal ambition. She has also argued that competence should trump identity politics. But in a country like South Africa, with its deeply racialised history and present, leadership cannot be separated from identity.
Representation matters — not as a symbolic gesture, but as a marker of political trust and democratic progress.
If the DA wants to be taken seriously as a national government-in-waiting, it must prove that it's capable of evolving. That means empowering a new generation of leaders who reflect the country's demographics, understand its challenges from lived experience, and can build trust in communities where the DA still struggles for acceptance. It means not defaulting to the same faces when the stakes are high.
The decision to consider or reject Zille's candidacy will not just affect Johannesburg; it will send a message to every DA supporter, volunteer, and potential voter about what kind of party this is — and what kind of future it imagines. If the party retreats to the safety of old leadership, it may win a battle in Johannesburg but lose the larger war for national relevance and credibility.
The DA stands at a crossroads. It can either double down on the past or make way for a future that looks, feels, and leads differently. Zille may be experienced, but her return to executive politics, especially in Johannesburg, may be one move too many. It risks deepening the party's internal fractures and undermining the very inclusivity the DA claims to champion.
In the end, the question isn't just whether Zille wants the job — it's whether the DA can afford a narrative that 'the Madam always gets what she wants'
Sifiso Mahlangu is the editor of The Star