Helen Zille has officially expressed interest in entering the race for the 2026/27 local elections to become Johannesburg’s next mayor.
With undeniable years of experience as the former Mayor of Cape Town and the Western Cape Premier, she initially thought the idea was “outrageous” when approached about a year ago. [Business Tech]
Now serving as the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Federal Council Chairperson, Zille has warmed up to this notion and is seriously considering it, however, not without the input of her family.
Time is of the essence in making a final decision as the deadline to officially run for Mayor of Johannesburg will close on Friday 13 June.
“I am thinking hard about it. I am speaking with my family and considering the pros and cons of the decision. I am moving in the direction of doing so, but it is not final yet,” she shared.
Comfortably settled in Cape Town, Zille and a close associate had been troubled by the state of Johannesburg since 2019, noting the infrastructural and service delivery crises. [Daily Maverick]
In a related article, Zille is quoted saying it is up to the voters to decide whether they want to fix the City of Johannesburg. “If they continue to vote for the ANC, there is no change.” [Business Tech]
“If they continue to vote for a party without the capacity to govern, they vote for their city to collapse. There is no other way of putting it.”
But potentially becoming the next mayor of the City of Gold will be no easy feat. She fully grasps the challenge at hand as shared initially with Daily Maverick.
“It will take more than five years (now) to stop the rot and turn the tide.” Zille acknowledged Johannesburg’s infrastructure backlog of R200-billion against an annual budget of R86-billion. Also considering the city’s staff complement had grown by 86% since 2010.
With a vibrant, bustling Cape Town regarded as a part of Zille’s success story, eyes are now on the near future and what the next local elections have in store.
