"How Can I Volunteer?": Helen Zille's Latest Stunt Gets South African Rallying Behind Her

• Helen Zille abseiled down a hijacked building in central Johannesburg to highlight the city's inner-city crisis
• She spoke to residents inside the building, calling out criminal syndicates and the failure to enforce the law
• South Africans were stunned by her boldness, with many saying she had their vote in the November elections

Helen Zille took her campaign for the Johannesburg mayorship to new heights on 13 July 2026. Literally. The DA politician abseiled down the side of a hijacked building in central Joburg to shine a light on what she described as a crisis hiding in plain sight.

Harnessed and guided by safety personnel, Zille made her way down the exterior of the building while speaking directly to the camera. She explained how hijacked buildings in the city follow a predictable pattern: a desperate owner walks away, criminal syndicates move in, and vulnerable residents end up paying rent to people who contribute nothing to the city in rates, taxes or services. Cut off from basic services, those residents are effectively trapped, and the situation deteriorates until something goes terribly wrong.

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Midway down the building, she paused to greet residents through their windows, joking that she was just "popping by to find out how things are going." She asked about water pressure, acknowledged their struggles, and promised that a DA-run Johannesburg would do better.

Zille's Message to Joburg Voters

Zille was clear that her party's approach would not criminalise the people living in these buildings. Instead, she said the DA would go after the syndicates and slumlords profiting from the situation while enforcing by-laws the ANC had allowed to slide for decades. She urged voters to back the DA on both ballots in the 4 November elections, saying the party deserved the chance to show what it could do for the city.

Watch the abseil that is making waves across South Africa:

Mzansi Reacts to the Iron Lady's Stunt

South Africans flooded the comments section on Zille's Facebook page with support:

@Lia Jenkins said:

"I was gob-smacked when I saw her huge support... by all communities... As Helen said...Joburg is do or die..."

@Wendy Bennett wrote:

"One in a zillion."

@Thamsanqa Mabhena from Soweto said:

"I am definitely voting for you to be our Mayor in Joburg. I am convinced. Yeses, how can I volunteer to help you win? I live in Soweto."

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More on Helen Zille

• Briefly News recently reported on Helen Zille's TikTok video throwing shade at the ANC during voter registration, leaving Mzansi in stitches.
• A content creator's surprise at discovering Zille had blocked her online sparked fresh debate about public figures and criticism.
• Zille's playful recruitment of an ANC member sharing her name had South Africans saying no one does ground work quite like her.

Source: Briefly News