The DA in Gauteng has confirmed that the party’s federal council chairperson, Helen Zille, was interviewed for the Johannesburg mayoral candidate position.

DA Gauteng leader, Solly Msimanga, told IOL that interviews were conducted, but no one has been announced yet as a mayoral candidate.

“There’s no decision, interviews were conducted, and a whole lot of tests were done. We will wait for the processes to be completed,” he said.

Msimanga added that they haven’t made a decision to finalise Tshwane, Ekurhuleni, and Johannesburg.

He could not disclose the other members who were interviewed, but said Zille was one of them.

Speaking to IOL, Zille also admitted to being have been interviewed for mayoral candidate in joburg but clarified that “I am not a mayoral candidate.”

“I am not the DA mayoral candidate; only six candidates have, but none of us know who the candidate is,” she said.

Zille has shown interest in becoming the next mayor of Johannesburg, the seat that is currently held by Dada Morero from the ANC.

IOL reported previously that Zille had confirmed her contemplation of contesting the mayorship but was currently discussing the implications of such an undertaking with her family.

This is because the political parties are gearing up for the upcoming local government elections.

Meanwhile, Johannesburg faces severe service delivery issues, including water shortages, power failures, and crumbling infrastructure.

Ageing systems, corruption, and poor maintenance have led to frequent outages and urban decay.

Residents pay rising rates despite declining services, while governance remains unstable with frequent leadership changes. Efforts to revitalise the city exist but lack depth.

Urgent investment, transparent management, and consistent leadership are critical to restoring Johannesburg’s essential services and liveability.

Morero promised to tackle the challenges facing his city.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

IOL Politics

Source link