Johannesburg mayoral candidate for the Democratic Alliance, Helen Zille, says her main political competitors in the city are Patriotic Alliance’s Kenny Kunene and ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba, while uncertainty remains over who the African National Congress (ANC) will nominate amid internal divisions.
Speaking in an interview on BizNews TV, Zille said she was “lucky” that the Patriotic Alliance had put forward Kunene, whom she criticised sharply over infrastructure issues in Johannesburg.
“I call them the Pothole Alliance, because Kenny Kunene is responsible for the roads in Joburg. And if you see them, you’ll understand why the Patriotic Alliance is in Joburg, the Pothole Alliance.”
She added that Mashaba should not be underestimated, citing strong anti-immigrant sentiment among some voters as a factor that could boost his support.
Zille said there was “an absolute deep hatred of foreigners in many parts of Joburg” and warned that Mashaba’s focus on the issue was “a vote winner for him, and he’s going to do it more and more and more, even if it has disastrous consequences, as it may do.”
Zille said the ANC’s choice of candidate would also be significant, but suggested internal divisions could weaken its campaign.
She said a senior ANC figure had indicated the party would select “definitely a person with a national profile,” but added that factionalism meant “it will split down the middle whoever they choose.”
She said she had been told by a senior ANC figure that the candidate would be “definitely a person with a national profile,” but added that “they are so internally divided that it will split down the middle whoever they choose.”
Addressing criticism about where she campaigns, Zille said she regularly engages with communities across Johannesburg.
She said when audiences question why she speaks to familiar supporters instead of other communities, she responds by saying, “I’m in other communities far more than I’m in audiences like this. All the time, in Alexandra, in Orange Farm, in Zandspruit and in Soweto, everywhere, all the time.”
However, she reiterated that these were not the areas where the party faced its greatest electoral risk. “But that’s not where our key threat lies,” she said, again pointing to turnout among DA voters.Despite identifying key contenders, Zille stressed that her primary concern was voter turnout among Democratic Alliance supporters.
“I take every opponent dead seriously, because every vote we lose, the ANC is more likely to win,” she said.
She added that the party’s strategy was focused on turnout, saying, “The strategy is to get the vote out, ensure that DA voters come to the polls. That is the biggest risk we face.” Zille emphasised that the problem was not primarily in areas where the party was trying to grow support, but within its existing base.
“Our key threat lies in DA voters who don’t get registered and don’t vote. That is the whole problem.
“It sounds so bloody obvious,” she said, “and if every person who voted DA last time just brings one other person with them to vote DA this time who didn’t last time, we will get a clear majority. But they’ve got to do that.”
Zille also addressed leadership challenges within the party, particularly regarding Geordin Hill-Lewis, who serves as mayor of Cape Town and holds a leadership role in the DA.
She acknowledged the demands of balancing both responsibilities, saying, “there are challenges,” particularly given his commitment to family life.
“I think the biggest challenge is that Jordan’s a very committed father,” she said, adding that the dual role requires extensive travel and weekend commitments.
“Every weekend you’ve got to be somewhere else in the country and mayor during the week.”
She acknowledged her own experience, saying she had concerns that she may not have spent enough time with her family while in office.
However, Zille expressed strong confidence in his abilities, describing him as possessing “an extraordinary intellect” and “an exceptional way with people.”
“I’ve never seen a people person like Geordin. He can make his opponents feel welcome and liked, which I can’t do. My fists come out far too instinctively.”
Zille said that, given his capabilities, “he’s got such huge capacity that I think it’ll be a breeze.”