Cape Town – Democratic Alliance (DA) Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille has urged frustrated voters not to boycott Wednesday’s local government elections, warning that staying away from the polls could give politicians accused of corruption another five years in power.
Zille delivered the warning at the DA’s final national election rally in Mamelodi, Tshwane, on Saturday, 31 October, as political parties made their final push ahead of the 4 November elections.
Addressing supporters, she acknowledged residents’ frustration over Johannesburg’s deteriorating services but insisted that abstaining from voting would only worsen the situation.
“You have every reason to be angry,” Zille said.
However, she warned that refusing to vote would benefit those voters wanted to remove from power.
“You will be giving them another five years to loot,” she said, arguing that Johannesburg could not afford another five years of poor governance.
LGE 2026 | DA Johannesburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille says residents have every reason to be concerned about poor service delivery, adding that the party is committed to addressing these challenges. She was speaking at the DA’s election campaign rally in Mamelodi. https://t.co/S10dypkueC
— SABC News (@SABCNews) October 31, 2026
Zille’s warning comes as Johannesburg grapples with persistent water and electricity outages, deteriorating roads, failing infrastructure and years of political instability under successive coalition governments.
The DA mayoral candidate has centred her campaign on a five-point plan to revive the economic hub, pledging to restore reliable water and electricity supplies, repair roads, create 200 000 jobs, tackle corruption and professionalise the city administration.
Among her commitments are fixing potholes within 72 hours, ensuring that 95% of traffic lights work and ring-fencing revenue collected from water and electricity services for infrastructure maintenance and upgrades.
The plan also includes reclaiming hijacked buildings, removing corrupt officials and improving the city’s billing system.
Johannesburg is expected to be one of the major battlegrounds in Wednesday’s elections, with service delivery and governance likely to influence voters’ choices.
Special voters will cast their ballots on Monday, 2 November, and Tuesday, 3 November, ahead of the main election day on Wednesday.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
