DA's Helen Zille sparks debate over potential Joburg mayoral run
DA federal council chairperson Helen Zille has sparked a heated debate on social media after expressing interest in running for mayor of Johannesburg in the 2026 local government elections.
Zille has reportedly been approached to become the DA's candidate for Johannesburg mayor, and is considering it.
This has drawn support and criticism from social media users, with some expressing confidence in her leadership abilities and others voicing concerns about her suitability for the role.
Zille has held several key leadership roles in the DA, including being premier of the Western Cape and mayor of Cape Town.
Some social media users believe her experience and track record in governance make her a strong candidate for the position.
On X Khaya Dlanga said if Zille contests for Joburg mayor, she would win.
'She has a proven record of turning a city around. Look at Cape Town. You can debate her politics all you want, but she gets things done,' Dlanga said.
'Joburg, as it stands, is crying out for that kind of leadership and Cape Town has the lowest unemployment rate of all major cities. If this happens, the ANC will lose Johannesburg for good. When Joburg goes, so does Gauteng. People are tired. They want working traffic lights, clean streets, functioning municipalities, not endless excuses. Everyone is complaining about what the ANC has done to the city. Zille offers a real alternative.'
John Haines on Facebook described Zille as a 'competent and highly educated woman with moral standards', making her the best person to turn the city around.
'That is the only thing the country needs to grow. If we can only appoint people with these standards from local municipalities to government, we will excel in our economy.'
Ntshimane Thubakgale on Facebook believed Zille would steer the ship towards the right direction. 'She's not a pushover and will be able to deal with issues facing Joburg and return it to its former glory.'
Johannesburg has been grappling with issues, including infrastructure challenges and service delivery problems such as unrepaired potholes, water and electricity outages and dysfunctional traffic lights. The city's mayor Dada Morero has announced plans to improve the city through his 'bomb squad'.
Some social media users expressed concerns about Zille's potential leadership, citing the DA's past experiences and perceived lack of confidence in black leadership.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba, who served as Joburg mayor when he was in the DA, accused the party of not having confidence in black leadership.
'This nonsense narrative that 'Sehlare sa mosotho ke lekgowa' (a black person's medicine is a white person) must stop,' Mashaba said.
'If Helen is about fixing, let her start in Khayelitsha, Gugulethu, Michelle's Plain [sic], Langa and other townships in the Cape.'
Activist and poet Ntsiki Mazwai said: 'We don't want Zille as the mayor of Joburg. That would be a huge and scary mistake which would impact the black masses negatively.'
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But, more encouraging, is that it seems the ANC can be trusted as a political party committed to ensuring the country remains a constitutional democracy, despite its own setbacks and the loss of its outright parliamentary majority. Jo-Mangaliso Mdhlela is an independent journalist, a social justice activist, an ex-trade unionist and an Anglican priest.
