Cape Town – ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba has expressed shock at reports that DA federal council chair Helen Zille may run for mayor of Johannesburg in the 2026 local elections.
According to The Citizen, Mashaba claims this reflects the DA’s lack of confidence in black leadership and warns that townships like Soweto and Alexandra would suffer under Zille’s leadership.
“This is deeply concerning that Helen and the DA thinks that they cannot find a single black person in this province to take over this responsibility,” the report quoted Mashaba as saying.
“These people do not have confidence in black leaders. They have proven beyond reasonable doubt that they do not believe in black excellence.”
He also doubts she will gain enough support, especially in black communities, due to the DA’s alleged coalition failures in the city.
“These people are under the impression that South Africa can be rescued by white people.
“If she becomes mayor the people of Soweto and Alexandra can forget about getting services.”
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Encouraged by DA members, Zille said she would first consult her family before deciding, City Press reported on Sunday.
If she runs, she will undergo the party’s standard candidate selection process.
Zille believes the DA could overtake the ANC in Johannesburg, despite the city’s severe infrastructure issues, and acknowledges that becoming mayor would be the biggest challenge of her life.
“It will be the toughest challenge of my life, but I will do anything to save the city to which I owe my youth,” she was quoted as saying.
Zille has long advocated for DA control over key Gauteng metros, saing that local governments are crucial to economic influence, the report said.
Her possible candidacy comes as current Joburg Mayor Dada Morero appoints a 12-member “bomb squad” team, led by ANC veteran Snuki Zikalala, to tackle service delivery problems including illegal dumping, power outages, crime, and poor sanitation in the city.
According to IOL, Zille, the former DA leader (2007–2015) and two-term Western Cape Premier, was previously elected Mayor of Cape Town in 2006 through a narrow coalition-supported majority.
With Johannesburg now facing a similarly fragmented political landscape, Zille has expressed deep concern over the city’s decline, blaming coalition failures for worsening infrastructure and unreliable services — particularly water supply — which she says are driving residents away.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
