The former Democratic Alliance leader, Helen Zille, remains positive that if given the opportunity, she would be able to lead the restoration of the City of Johannesburg to the powerhouse it once was.
Last week, Helen, a former Mayor of the City of Cape Town, caused social media uproar after revealing her interest in being elected as the new mayor of the City of Johannesburg.
In an interview with the news publication Sunday World, the 74-year-old said that her main motive was to bring stability to the city, adding that the city needed experienced leadership to address the failing infrastructure and broken services.
In doing so, this would result in her stepping down from her position as the DA’s federal council chairperson, which is one of the party’s internal structures for selecting mayoral candidates.
This has caused controversy on social media, with some accusing Helen of undermining the leadership abilities of other young potential candidates within the party. Meanwhile, DA Gauteng leader Solly Msimanga assured the public that unfairness will not be tolerated.
“No one is deployed in the DA. Everyone who applies must go through the same competitive process. There are no exceptions,” he revealed.
Furthermore, Helen has had to clear a few flames of her own following the uproar with some accusing her of being an economic migrant for wanting to relocate to Johannesburg should she receive the mayoral post.
She responded, writing, “I am a romance refugee from Johannesburg. I fell in love with a lecturer at the University of Cape Town. That is why I moved.”
In response to the mayoral selection process, she added:
Cilliers is not competing for Mayor of Joburg, pal. He applied for Tshwane. (There’s a difference). There are many young competitors for Mayor of Joburg who will be interviewed. The Selection Panel will fairly consider us all. DA has many young mayors and some not-so-young.
— Helen Zille (@helenzille) June 16, 2025
Also see:Helen Zille to be roasted in the 2025 Showmax Roast
