By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) mayoral candidate Helen Zille addressed party members at Nasrec on Saturday, 17 October 2026, as the party wrapped up its Johannesburg Local Government Elections campaign.
Draped in blue DA regalia and waving party placards, supporters filled the stands at the Nasrec Centre, calling for reliable basic services, safer communities and greater economic opportunities.
The rally marked the culmination of the DA’s year-long campaign to win control of Johannesburg, with party leaders making their pitch to voters ahead of the elections.
Zille made a dramatic entrance in a BMW 325iS, popularly known as a “Gusheshe”, whose roaring engine drew cheers from the crowd.
She argued that Johannesburg stands at a crossroads and urged residents to back the DA to rescue a city she said has been crippled by corruption, service delivery failures and years of political instability.
Zille said the election was no longer about identifying the city’s problems but about deciding who could fix them.
“The question is no longer what must be done. The question is who can do it? The people who created this mess obviously can’t fix it?
Zille pointed to the party’s governance record in Cape Town and other DA-run municipalities, arguing that it had proven its ability to turn plans into action and deliver services.
She highlighted Cape Town’s infrastructure investment, governance record, and job-creation performance as evidence that the DA could replicate those successes in Johannesburg.
Zille urged residents to give the party a 50% + 1 majority, warning that Johannesburg could not afford another unstable coalition government mired in political infighting and poor decision-making.
“The choice is between promises and proof. We are the proof. Between the talkers and the doers.”
She pledged that, during her first year in office, she would rebuild the city’s financial foundations by cutting wasteful spending and ensuring that essential services were adequately funded.
She also promised to ensure that revenue generated by municipal entities was directed towards maintaining the services they provided and that competent people were appointed to run them.
“Good officials will have our full support. Corrupt officials will face consequences. And those who consistently fail to perform will have to find work somewhere else,” she said.
Zille further promised an independent investigation into corruption allegations that had contributed to the city’s decline, with public hearings and findings made available to residents.
Meanwhile DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis said the party will only take the instruction from President Cyril Ramaphosa and no other ANC leaders over Government of National Unity (GNU).
His remarks come after ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula said the DA’s role in the GNU must be reviewed.
“We are not at all phased about that. I’m focused on winning elections on the 4th of November, and you know the DA is in the GNU to make South Africa work and to get our economy growing, to get people into work. We’re not there to make the ANC happy. We’re not there to make friends with the ANC. We’re there for South Africa, said Hill-Lewis.