By Daanyaal Matthews
Chairperson of the DA Federal Council, Helen Zille, is reportedly considering the position of Johannesburg mayor after several senior party members declined the opportunity to lead the city.
The deadline for mayoral submissions is Friday, 13 June 2025. Zille has indicated that she will make a final decision closer to the date after consulting with her family.
Speaking across VOC’s airwaves, political analyst Dr Ongama Mtimka from Nelson Mandela University described Zille as a strong potential candidate, noting her significant influence within the party.
“If you think about Democratic Alliance politics, there isn’t a politician in the Democratic Alliance period that has achieved the heights that she has in terms of leadership,” argued Mtimka.
The Johannesburg metro continues to face deep-rooted challenges, both in terms of service delivery and political infighting. Mtimka believes these conditions could work in Zille’s favour should she decide to pursue the mayoral position, given her reputation for discipline and control.
“You do need people who come with a lot of weight, in terms of the politics of their party, and these are charged with the responsibility to lead a turnaround. In order to achieve that, you do need people that are self-assured, and sometimes arrogant, because to ‘beat a dead horse,’ you need somebody who can actually take on whichever fights come with having to crack a whip, and I think she does have that,” added Mtimka.
Listen to the full interview here:
