Helen Zille Considers Running for Johannesburg Mayor, Netizens Discuss

• The Democratic Alliance's federal chair, Helen Zille, said that she is thinking about running for the mayor of Johannesburg
• It's believed that the DA approached her with the intent to place her in the running for the mayoral seat
• Zille said she would have to talk to her family about it, and previously said that the City of Johannesburg is in dire need of fixing

With over seven years at Daily Sun and Vutivi Business News, Tebogo Mokwena, a Briefly News current affairs journalist, offered insights into South African politics, national, provincial, and local governance, the Government of National Unity, political parties, and Parliament.

JOHANNESBURG — The Democratic Alliance (DA) is considering putting Federal Chair Helen Zille in the running to be the mayor of Johannesburg. Zille said she was approached and would need to discuss the matter with her family.

Helen Zille for Joburg mayor?

According to BusinessTech, Zlle is considering the proposal but has not concluded. She wants to talk to her family, which lives in Cape Town, Western Cape, before making a final decision.

Zille previously discussed the issues Johannesburg faces in an interview. Johannesburg is currently governed by a coalition government with the African National Congress's Regional Chairperson Dada Morero occupying the seat as mayor. However, Morero has come under fire in the past for the City's condition, including a decaying central business district and crumbling infrastructure.

Zille said the decay in the City is what causes people to run away. The water supply in Johannesburg is unreliable. In November, the DA in Johannesburg called for the Johannesburg Water board to be dissolved amid a water crisis in the city.

The crisis worsened in 2025 when parts of the city experienced a water outage for weeks. Morero visited the Eikenhof plant and promised that the water would be restored. Zille said it would take years to fix the city due to rampant corruption, which has depleted state resources set aside for the maintenance of infrastructure.

What did South Africans say?

Netizens commenting on X had mixed feelings.

Squirrel the Moron said:

"Gogo is the worst person to be mayor, but I think having her is probably better than the status quo."

Mike said sarcastically:

"What's wrong with our current ANC mayor? Jobur"LEtg is doing just fine under him."

404HumanNotFound said:

"Helen Zille's potential candidacy for Mayor of Johannesburg marks a significant development in local politics. Her experience and political stature could reshape the dynamics of governance in the city."

Francis Nkosi said:

"Not a fan of Madam Federal, but she can 1000% do a better job than Dada and his bomb squads.

Intrepid said:

"Joburgers, you might not agree with some of her outrageous utterances. She upsets me sometimes. But you will never find a politician who demands fiercer accountability in public service than Zille. She proved herself as the Mayor of CPT and as the Western Cape Premier. Let's give her a try."

Zille defends Cape Town MMC JP Smith

In a related article, Briefly News reported that Zille defended Cape Town's MMC for Safety and Security, JP Smith, after his offices were raided. The officials of the MMC, including those from Human Settlements, Water and Waste Services, and Energy, were also raided.

The two are under investigation after they were linked with the former Human Settlements MMC Malusi Booi, who was arrested for corruption and fraud. Zille said she was aware the raids would happen.

Source: Briefly News