‘Toughest challenge of my life’ — Zille wants Joburg throne

Zille

Cape Town – Democratic Alliance (DA) Federal Chairperson Helen Zille is considering running for mayor of Johannesburg in the 2026 local government elections, reports said on Sunday. 

Encouraged by DA members, Zille said she would first consult her family before deciding, The Citizen reported, citing City Press. 

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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