WATCH | Zille’s Soweto raft stunt sparks social media split over Joburg service delivery

Johannesburg – Social media reactions to Helen Zille’s Johannesburg campaign visit have exposed sharply different perceptions of service delivery across the city.

Zille, the DA’s mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, visited Soweto earlier this week, where she used an inflatable raft to highlight flooded streets and failing stormwater infrastructure.

Her campaign said the stunt was meant to draw attention to the city’s poor maintenance and alleged mismanagement of its capital budget.

“In the 2025/26 financial year, the City of Joburg only spent 26% of their capital budget.

In the 2025/26 financial year the City of Joburg only spent 26% of their capital budget. That means money that was supposed to be invested in critical projects, such as stormwater infrastructure, was either stolen or mismanaged.

You can change this by registering to vote for a… pic.twitter.com/l7yyme3GKo

— Zille for Mayor (@HelenZille4Jozi) April 14, 2026

“That means money that was supposed to be invested in critical projects, such as stormwater infrastructure, was either stolen or mismanaged,” Zille’s team said.

While her team claims the City of Johannesburg has under-spent on critical infrastructure, the move has sparked debate, with critics calling it political theatre and accusing her of using decay for campaigning.

Supporters argue it highlights urgent service delivery failures.

Oh I forgot, Lukhona. You are the “independent” analyst from @Rise_Mzansi . Try harder.

— Helen Zille (@helenzille) April 14, 2026

In viral videos, commuters in Soweto appeared unimpressed, with some accusing her of being pulled rather than rowing and questioning the authenticity of the demonstration.

Others used the moment to criticise her motives, while DA representatives defended the campaign and said the flooded area was later addressed by municipal crews.