Zille The ANC Women’s League (ANCWL) has criticised the DA for nominating Helen Zille as its candidate for mayor of Johannesburg in the 2026 local elections.
This comes after the DA announced on Saturday that their Chairperson of the Federal Council will be running for Joburg mayor next year.
Sunday World previously reported that Zille also referenced recent remarks by President Cyril Ramaphosa, who acknowledged that municipalities under DA control often outperform those run by the ANC.
‘Endorsed’ by Ramaphosa
“There is no braver act for a political leader than endorsing his main political opponent,” Zille said. She was suggesting that Ramaphosa had effectively admitted that the DA governs more effectively.
ANCWL secretary-general Nokuthula Nqaba said in a statement that they were greatly surprised by the move.
“The City of Johannesburg is not only the economic hub of the country. It is also a cosmopolitan metropolis of the African continent. This is where people from everywhere in the continent and elsewhere, converge for better economic opportunities,” said Nqaba.
She said Zille has shown prejudice during her time as Premier of the Western Cape in 2012.
She also said Zille referred to people from the Eastern Cape who had moved to the province as refugees. Nqaba said Zille also called for their deportation.
Policy of exclusion
“These utterances not only undermined the compass of our constitutional democracy. But they confirmed the DA policy of exclusionism which is characterised by prejudice and collective hatred for black people.
“The deep-seated idiocy in her statement on Eastern Cape refugees was owing to the fact that Helen Zille herself was born in Johannesburg with both her parents of German descent. But she still had the impudence to refer to indigenous people with such resentment,” said Nqaba.
She said Zille’s promise to improve service delivery such as water and electricity supply, and repairing roads in the city contradicts the her legacy of this delivery in Cape Town. Nqaba said Zille ignored majority of African and Coloured townships.
DA failures in Cape Town
She highlighted that the N7 along Du Noon near Killarney is densely populated and impoverished. She also pointed out that the Blikkiesdorp project in Delft has temporary structures turned into permanent residence from 2007.
“The only proven track record to be attributed to the DA is its inherent disregard for transformation. And their political conviction remains that of the protection of white privilege and supremacy.
“The DA and its Johannesburg Mayoral candidate are disingenuous in their promise for service delivery. And the only vice that cannot be forgiven is hypocrisy,” said Nqaba.
