JOHANNESBURG, GAUTENG — As the DA 2026 local elections Johannesburg campaign enters its crucial final phase, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Geordin Hill-Lewis has promised residents a government of integrity and a fully functional city if Helen Zille is elected mayor this November.
Speaking at the Victoria Yards Hall in downtown Johannesburg during the party’s ‘Working for All Tour’, Hill-Lewis emphasized that the city’s immense potential is being wasted by deliberate administrative failures. Kicking off the tour while celebrating Heritage Day, the party leadership made it clear that their sole focus is emerging victorious in the upcoming November polls.
Hill-Lewis urged Johannesburg residents to reject the status quo, stating that no citizen should have to accept the systemic failures currently plaguing the city. He pointed to the DA’s governance in Cape Town as a benchmark for success, arguing that Johannesburg’s only deficit is a leadership that fails to honor its potential. Highlighting critical infrastructure decay, Hill-Lewis noted that the city currently loses half of its water supply to leaks and mismanagement before it ever reaches residents’ taps.
Positioning Helen Zille as a “tried and tested” leader, the DA leadership argued she is exactly what the city needs. Hill-Lewis challenged the electorate to consider which political figure in South Africa has successfully turned around a broken city in the past, pointing to Zille’s track record as proof of her capability.
With the mayoral race heating up, Zille took aim at opposing parties and their coalition strategies. She specifically warned voters about political groups that promise to remove the ANC from power only to facilitate further corruption through post-election alliances.
During her address, Zille referenced Patriotic Alliance leader Gayton McKenzie, criticizing his stated willingness to form coalitions with the EFF, the MK party, the ANC, and other smaller factions. She argued that such alliances would merely allow the ANC to continue looting the city’s resources, urging voters to be vigilant against these political maneuvers.
The political rhetoric intensifies as the November elections draw near. With exactly 40 days remaining until election day, the electoral commission is set to issue official certificates to all certified local election candidates this Saturday, formally kickstarting the final stretch of the campaign trail.
