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Helen Zille addresses DA members after she was announced as the party’s mayoral candidate for the 2026 LGE, in Soweto, September 20, 2025.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has confirmed Helen Zille as its mayoral candidate for Johannesburg in the upcoming 2026 Local Government Elections.
Addressing party members in Mofolo, Soweto, Zille based her campaign for the top job in the country’s economic hub on a seeming endorsement by the ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa.
She highlighted the failures currently plaguing the city of Johannesburg , ranging from power cuts, water cuts, and crime.
The city is currently led by the ANC in a multiparty government.
Zille harped on Ramaphosa’s endorsement: “Joburg now symbolises the burden that bad government places on great people. But the good news is that in a democracy, the people have more power than their government. There is a better way, and it is the DA- way of government. If you don’t believe me, just ask the President. With perfect timing, President Ramaphosa this week showed the boldness we’ve all been waiting for.”
VIDEO | DA announces Joburg mayoral candidate for 2026 LGE:
Ramaphosa earlier said that municipalities that are governed by the ANC and DA need to learn from each other.
He said that whilst DA municipalities are good on compliance issues, they fail dismally on transformation, where the ANC does well.
Ramaphosa was speaking to the SABC following comments he made when he was addressing ANC councillors that they can learn from the DA-run municipalities.
He says whilst the DA is good on books, the lives of the majority of people in townships under their control haven’t changed.
