In the midst of Johannesburg falling apart and grappling with political fragmentation, Helen Zille, former Cape Town mayor and current Chairperson of the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance (DA), is considering contesting to be Johannesburg’s next mayor. At age 74, Zille has a good track record of fixing cities, but some of her old comments about colonialism have upset people, and many wonder if she can win in such a diverse city like Jozi.
explain spoke with political analyst Ntsikelelo Breakfast to break down Zille’s possible run; why she wants to be mayor, what challenges she might face while contesting, and if her run could change the DA’s plans in South Africa’s political landscape. As a political analyst and Acting Director of the Centre for Security, Peace and Conflict Resolution, whilst also heading the department of History and Political Studies at Nelson Mandela University, Breakfast’s knowledge in this field is well cemented. He has a background as a former Head of Security and Africa Studies at Stellenbosch University and has extensive research, including 45 peer-reviewed articles and a forthcoming book on South African democracy, which speaks to his expertise in political dynamics.
With Zille’s long history in politics, what do you think is driving her decision to run for mayor of Johannesburg in the 2026 local government elections?
She did very well when she was the mayor of the City of Cape Town and Premier of the Western Cape, even though she fell short of bridging the gap between the haves and have-nots. Never mind the controversy about appointing a male-dominated cabinet, but I think she did well. She does have a history of making a change where she leads, but I think with all due respect, she has overstayed her welcome as a political leader.
Why not give the other ones an opportunity? You can advise behind closed doors and raise concerns.
I agree that the way things are in the city of Johannesburg is not the way things should be. Even the president of the ANC has raised concerns, and it’s a matter of concern, because the city is going to be under the spotlight when we’re hosting the G20. But for her to say she’s throwing her name into the hat, I do not think this is a good idea.
Zille is a strong figure, with a strong record, but also with past controversies, such as her comments on colonialism. How might her public image impact her electability in a diverse city like Johannesburg, and how do you think opposition parties will respond if she runs?
In the bigger scheme of things, I think this announcement is also a precursor for the campaign of the DA for the local government election. I think the local government elections are going to be highly contested, so I think it might be a strategy. But if she’s really serious about want to be at the helm, I think she must think again. I mean, what do other opposition parties think about it, or what will they think about it? She is seen as racist. I’m not saying that I agree with that or not. There’s a difference between being a racialist and being a racist, where racialism is about the racial classification of people.
But I think the arguments that she raised about the benefits of colonialism were insensitive, because colonialism also eroded people’s cultures, took away people’s dignity, the land of Africans, people lost their languages, and people have scars of colonialism
For Zille to argue that people mustn’t lament about the bad things of colonialism because there were also good things. I think that was unwise, very insensitive and very disappointing from a leader.
Could Zille’s reputation for turning cities around win voter support, or might her DA ties push some away and can any mayor realistically fix Johannesburg in one term?
I’m not sure if the DA is going to win, nor do I think that the ANC is going to win, because I think there will be a coalition there. Because when voter turnout is low, the ANC still has people who support them. It’s just that they have a history of incompetence and not getting the job done. When the political environment is fragmented, people will just stay away from the polls. I don’t think there’ll be an outright winner there. People in this country, whether people like it or not, vote along racial lines, but I don’t think the DA will win outright. There’s a difference between increasing your electoral outcomes, like your threshold, but winning, I don’t see that happening.
How might Zille work with other political parties to keep things running smoothly in a city where there’s often a lot of disagreement in government?
I don’t want to sound like a dictator, but you can’t do everything for everyone. You cannot do everything by yourself, because opposition parties provide oversight. I mean, it has been decades, and you still need their buy-in, so we can’t reduce them. I strongly believe in the coalition, but the opposition parties will hold whichever arrangement accountable.
If Zille were to win, what could her mayoralty mean for the DA’s national ambitions and South Africa’s political landscape ahead of future national elections?
That will boost their aspirations of ascending to power one day, and nationally, though, I don’t think that will happen.
What will Zille need to do to win the trust of voters who don’t usually support the DA?
What I’m saying is that there’s no political party in Johannesburg that is going to be an outright winner, and that applies to all of them because of the fragmentation of the environment. The city of Johannesburg is cosmopolitan, meaning that it has people from around the world and people from all walks of life.
Johannesburg has a large middle class. The large middle class doesn’t vote in relation to popularity or relation to ideological attachments. The large middle class votes in relation to public policy and service delivery-related issues. It’s not like, you know, a city or a town in a smaller municipality where you have traditional leaders who can intervene and tell people who they should vote for.
There is this large middle class that is not easy to manipulate, and that’s why even the ANC has had a downward electoral trajectory. The DA will need numbers to win, but I don’t think they have them. You must understand the DA’s history; it has always been seen as a party for the white English-speaking middle class, and it has done very well in terms of expanding its fixed footprint in townships, but still, that is not enough to win. It will take a major shake-up to win, but I don’t think it will happen.
With Zille making her decision to run or not by next week, the country and Joburgers are watching. Her controversial past could push away voters in the city’s diverse communities, but the city’s decline and the DA’s service-providing reputation in their cities, could she actually have a chance?
Lona is a recent graduate with an Honours degree in Journalism and Media Studies from Wits University. Passionate about storytelling, she is eager to learn, grow, and hone her writing skills.
Q&A | Ntsikelelo Breakfast breaks down Helen Zille’s possible run for JHB mayor
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In the midst of Johannesburg falling apart and grappling with political fragmentation, Helen Zille, former Cape Town mayor and current Chairperson of the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance (DA), is considering contesting to be Johannesburg’s next mayor. At age 74, Zille has a good track record of fixing cities, but some of her old comments about colonialism have upset people, and many wonder if she can win in such a diverse city like Jozi.
explain spoke with political analyst Ntsikelelo Breakfast to break down Zille’s possible run; why she wants to be mayor, what challenges she might face while contesting, and if her run could change the DA’s plans in South Africa’s political landscape. As a political analyst and Acting Director of the Centre for Security, Peace and Conflict Resolution, whilst also heading the department of History and Political Studies at Nelson Mandela University, Breakfast’s knowledge in this field is well cemented. He has a background as a former Head of Security and Africa Studies at Stellenbosch University and has extensive research, including 45 peer-reviewed articles and a forthcoming book on South African democracy, which speaks to his expertise in political dynamics.
With Zille’s long history in politics, what do you think is driving her decision to run for mayor of Johannesburg in the 2026 local government elections?
She did very well when she was the mayor of the City of Cape Town and Premier of the Western Cape, even though she fell short of bridging the gap between the haves and have-nots. Never mind the controversy about appointing a male-dominated cabinet, but I think she did well. She does have a history of making a change where she leads, but I think with all due respect, she has overstayed her welcome as a political leader.
Why not give the other ones an opportunity? You can advise behind closed doors and raise concerns.
I agree that the way things are in the city of Johannesburg is not the way things should be. Even the president of the ANC has raised concerns, and it’s a matter of concern, because the city is going to be under the spotlight when we’re hosting the G20. But for her to say she’s throwing her name into the hat, I do not think this is a good idea.
Zille is a strong figure, with a strong record, but also with past controversies, such as her comments on colonialism. How might her public image impact her electability in a diverse city like Johannesburg, and how do you think opposition parties will respond if she runs?
In the bigger scheme of things, I think this announcement is also a precursor for the campaign of the DA for the local government election. I think the local government elections are going to be highly contested, so I think it might be a strategy. But if she’s really serious about want to be at the helm, I think she must think again. I mean, what do other opposition parties think about it, or what will they think about it? She is seen as racist. I’m not saying that I agree with that or not. There’s a difference between being a racialist and being a racist, where racialism is about the racial classification of people.
But I think the arguments that she raised about the benefits of colonialism were insensitive, because colonialism also eroded people’s cultures, took away people’s dignity, the land of Africans, people lost their languages, and people have scars of colonialism
For Zille to argue that people mustn’t lament about the bad things of colonialism because there were also good things. I think that was unwise, very insensitive and very disappointing from a leader.
Could Zille’s reputation for turning cities around win voter support, or might her DA ties push some away and can any mayor realistically fix Johannesburg in one term?
I’m not sure if the DA is going to win, nor do I think that the ANC is going to win, because I think there will be a coalition there. Because when voter turnout is low, the ANC still has people who support them. It’s just that they have a history of incompetence and not getting the job done. When the political environment is fragmented, people will just stay away from the polls. I don’t think there’ll be an outright winner there. People in this country, whether people like it or not, vote along racial lines, but I don’t think the DA will win outright. There’s a difference between increasing your electoral outcomes, like your threshold, but winning, I don’t see that happening.
How might Zille work with other political parties to keep things running smoothly in a city where there’s often a lot of disagreement in government?
I don’t want to sound like a dictator, but you can’t do everything for everyone. You cannot do everything by yourself, because opposition parties provide oversight. I mean, it has been decades, and you still need their buy-in, so we can’t reduce them. I strongly believe in the coalition, but the opposition parties will hold whichever arrangement accountable.
If Zille were to win, what could her mayoralty mean for the DA’s national ambitions and South Africa’s political landscape ahead of future national elections?
That will boost their aspirations of ascending to power one day, and nationally, though, I don’t think that will happen.
What will Zille need to do to win the trust of voters who don’t usually support the DA?
What I’m saying is that there’s no political party in Johannesburg that is going to be an outright winner, and that applies to all of them because of the fragmentation of the environment. The city of Johannesburg is cosmopolitan, meaning that it has people from around the world and people from all walks of life.
Johannesburg has a large middle class. The large middle class doesn’t vote in relation to popularity or relation to ideological attachments. The large middle class votes in relation to public policy and service delivery-related issues. It’s not like, you know, a city or a town in a smaller municipality where you have traditional leaders who can intervene and tell people who they should vote for.
There is this large middle class that is not easy to manipulate, and that’s why even the ANC has had a downward electoral trajectory. The DA will need numbers to win, but I don’t think they have them. You must understand the DA’s history; it has always been seen as a party for the white English-speaking middle class, and it has done very well in terms of expanding its fixed footprint in townships, but still, that is not enough to win. It will take a major shake-up to win, but I don’t think it will happen.
With Zille making her decision to run or not by next week, the country and Joburgers are watching. Her controversial past could push away voters in the city’s diverse communities, but the city’s decline and the DA’s service-providing reputation in their cities, could she actually have a chance?
Lona Sokanyile
Lona is a recent graduate with an Honours degree in Journalism and Media Studies from Wits University. Passionate about storytelling, she is eager to learn, grow, and hone her writing skills.
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