DA names Helen Zille Joburg mayoral candidate ahead 2026 elections

Helen Zille, the Democratic Alliance's federal council chairperson and former leader, has been officially announced as the DA's mayoral candidate for Johannesburg in the 2026 local government elections. The announcement was made at a rally in Soweto, where DA leader John Steenhuisen emphasized the need to address the corruption and mismanagement plaguing the city, which he described as broken. Zille, who was born and raised in Johannesburg, highlighted the city's decline from a thriving economic hub and symbol of opportunity to one burdened by poor governance and decay. Her candidacy has received some unexpected endorsements, including from political analyst Prince Mashele, who criticized the previous ANC leadership for the city's deterioration. The DA aims to restore faith in Johannesburg's future and consider Zille a proven leader ready to rescue the city, which is crucial for the progress of South Africa as a whole. This announcement follows the DA's earlier unveiling of Cilliers Brink as their Tshwane mayoral candidate, signaling a strategic push in major metros ahead of the elections.