WATCH LIVE: DA to announce eThekwini's mayoral candidate for the 2026 elections
The Democratic Alliance in KwaZulu-Natal will on Friday, 26 September, announce its mayoral candidate for eThekwini ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
The announcement will be made by DA Federal Leader John Steenhuisen and the party’s provincial leader, Francois Rodgers.
The DA says it is ready to bring urgent change to a city plagued by years of poor governance, service delivery failures and administrative collapse.
In the 2024 general elections, the DA remained the fourth-largest party in KwaZulu-Natal, behind the MK Party, Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), and the ANC. The party aims to build on this base to challenge for control of key metros like eThekwini in 2026
In a statement ahead of the announcement, the DA said: “The urgency for change in government in eThekwini has never been greater, and the DA is determined to lead that change.”
The eThekwini announcement follows a similar move in Johannesburg last weekend, where the DA formally introduced Helen Zille as its mayoral candidate for the City of Johannesburg at a campaign event in Soweto.
Zille, the former Western Cape premier and current federal council chair, was introduced by Steenhuisen as someone with deep roots in the city and a proven track record in government.
“Can we build the Jozi we all love? Yes, we can!” Steenhuisen told the crowd. “And so it is with great pride, and even greater urgency, that I re-introduce to you… your very own DA mayoral candidate for Johannesburg: Helen Zille.”
Zille, speaking to IOL in June, confirmed that she had been approached to run and had taken time to consult her family before deciding. “I have been approached to put my hat in the ring for mayor. I am still considering it and consulting my family,” she said at the time.
She also emphasised her personal ties to Johannesburg: “I was born in Hillbrow. A lot of my family used to live in Johannesburg. I grew up there, and I worked there… So I have got very deep roots and unfinished business in Johannesburg.”
Her candidacy, however, has not come without criticism. Opposition parties, including the ANC Women’s League, accused the DA of recycling leadership and failing to promote transformation. Others questioned her past remarks on race and migration, suggesting her leadership may deepen divisions rather than unite the city.
Zille also came under fire during a recent television interview where she was asked whether she believed the conflict in Gaza amounted to genocide.
Her response, “Genocide is a very big word and I haven’t been to Gaza, and I don’t know”, was criticised as evasive by political analysts and drew sharp responses from other party leaders.
Her candidacy also drew criticism from former DA mayor of Johannesburg and ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba, who accused Zille of trying to “bring back apartheid” and labelled her “racist.”
“All peace-loving South Africans can understand that we cannot have such racists like Helen Zille to really be in charge of the powerhouse of this country. We have capable, ethical black leadership in this country which was oppressed for centuries … and for Helen Zille who so dearly misses apartheid, wants to bring it back to a city where 80% of the voters are black,” he said.
hope.ntanzI@iol.co.za
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