Johannesburg Mayoral Hopeful Helen Zille Pledges to Tackle Corruption and Create Jobs

• Johannesburg DA mayoral candidate Helen Zille outlined five priorities for her mayoral campaign, focusing on infrastructure and job creation
• Zille addressed the Johannesburg water crisis, citing political will as key issue rather than funding
• Anti-corruption measures are central to Zille's vision for improving safety and governance in Johannesburg

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

GAUTENG, JOHANNESBURG - The Democratic Alliance's (DA) mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, Helen Zille, has announced five key priorities she intends to focus on if elected, including reliable water supply, road repairs, job creation, anti-corruption measures, and establishing a modern government.

Zille launches Johannesburg mayoral manifesto

Zille made the announcement on Saturday, 7 March 2026, at Johannesburg City Hall, where dozens of DA supporters gathered to hear her outline the pledges that will form the basis of her mayoral campaign. She said the DA is best positioned to "save the City of Johannesburg" ahead of the local government elections, expected later this year, likely in November.

Read also

President Ramaphosa unveils R22m statues of OR Tambo and Nelson Mandela amid protests and criticism

Addressing the city's ongoing water supply crisis, driven by ageing infrastructure and rising consumption, Zille said the core issue is a lack of political will rather than funding. She pledged to ensure revenue collected for essential services is ring-fenced to maintain and repair infrastructure and said the DA would partner with the private sector to invest in the city's systems.

Zille also emphasised that corruption would have no place under her administration, pledging to combat it aggressively and improve safety in public spaces. Municipal officials have acknowledged that the city currently lacks the funds to repair failing infrastructure, making governance and resource management central issues in the upcoming election.

Other stories about Johannesburg

Herman Mashaba has vowed to collapse municipal entities if he becomes the new mayor of the City of Johannesburg. Mashaba, the ActionSA leader, was elected as the party’s mayoral candidate for the City of Gold. The Democratic Alliance has elected Helen Zille to contest the post as well, while the African National Congress has yet to announce its candidate. Mashaba, who is a former Johannesburg mayor, is confident that he can restore the city to its former glory if elected and detailed some of his plans.

Read also

No early leadership campaigns: ANC addresses Motsepe lobbying ahead of 2027 conference

The DA's Johannesburg mayoral candidate, Helen Zille, joined residents protesting on Xavier Bridge south of Johannesburg, accusing corruption of driving the city's water crisis. Zille pledged solidarity with residents demanding running water in their taps. She sang with protesters and said the ongoing shortages are manmade due to corruption. She argued that water infrastructure failures stem from corruption in maintenance contracts.

Herman Mashaba does not consider Helen Zille much of a threat when it comes to the race for the City of Johannesburg’s mayoral post. Mashaba, who is the ActionSA leader, was elected as the party’s mayoral candidate in Johannesburg. He noted the DA’s plans in the City of Cape Town to build a wall along the N2, claiming that this was to hide the poor from the eyes of tourists. Mashaba said that this would never be the case in Johannesburg under ActionSA, as they would not hide the people of Alexandra from Sandton, but instead uplift them.

Source: Briefly News