The Democratic Alliance (DA) has launched a sharp critique of the African National Congress’s (ANC) governance of Johannesburg, accusing it of driving the city into decline through corruption and mismanagement.
The attack came during the launch of the DA’s manifesto for the upcoming local government elections, held at Johannesburg City Hall. Dozens of supporters attended the event, where the party’s mayoral candidate, Helen Zille, outlined the DA’s vision under the rallying cry “Get Joburg working.”
Helen Zille presented five key priorities she vowed to address if elected mayor. She emphasized the urgent need to stabilize basic services, stating that Johannesburg residents pay for these services but frequently do not receive them.
“We will stop the stealing that is going on in the city right now,” Zille said. “We will stop the stealing and the wasting of public money. We will ring-fence the revenue that residents pay for essential services so that the money is used to fix and maintain those services, and we will partner with the private sector to invest in infrastructure to keep this city running.”
The second priority focused on reversing the deterioration of the city’s roads and transport infrastructure.
Zille also committed to driving economic recovery, with a specific pledge to attract 200,000 new jobs. “We will attract these 200,000 new jobs by bringing Joburg’s business centers back to life and restoring confidence in our city,” she explained. “Because when there is confidence, businesses invest and create jobs. That’s just the rule of economics.”
Stronger policing formed another pillar, with Zille promising a zero-tolerance approach to corruption and illegal immigration that she said undermine the rule of law. “Crime destroys cities,” she warned.
Her final commitment centered on rebuilding an accountable administration to restore trust between residents and local government.
Zille rejected accusations that the DA governs only for the wealthy, highlighting the party’s track record in other municipalities it has administered. She further pointed out that even the ANC acknowledges the crisis facing Johannesburg, quoting that “even the ANC knows what we know: If Joburg fails, South Africa fails.”
The DA is positioning its promises to rebuild infrastructure, restore basic services, and revive the economy as the path to turning Johannesburg around, betting that these commitments will resonate with frustrated residents as the local government elections approach.