LGE 2026: Four mayoral candidates make their final pitches to restore Joburg
Helen Zille (DA), Dada Morero (ANC), Herman Mashaba (ActionSA), and Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng (EFF) outlined their plans for the troubled city and revealed potential coalition complications.
Kabous Le Roux
Helen Zille (DA), Dada Morero (ANC), Tlaleng Mofokeng (EFF) and Herman Mashaba (ActionSA) make their final pitches to voters ahead of the 2026 local government elections. (Picture credit: kellyermis/123rf)
kellyermis/123rf
Johannesburg's four leading mayoral candidates have made their closing arguments to voters, with promises of renewal, better services and tougher governance, but sharply different visions for the city's future.
With local government elections just days away, the candidates used interviews on 702's Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa to make their cases for why residents should give them their vote.
Democratic Alliance (DA) candidate Helen Zille argued that Johannesburg could follow the example of better-run DA-governed cities, while African National Congress (ANC) incumbent Dada Morero defended his party's record and acknowledged the city's service delivery challenges.
ActionSA's Herman Mashaba said he had unfinished business after leaving the mayor's office in 2019, while Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) candidate Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng called for a radical change in how the city is governed.
The interviews also exposed potential complications in the coalition negotiations that could follow the election, particularly between the DA and ActionSA.
RELATED: Helen Zille outlines plan to fix Johannesburg's finances and water crisis
Zille: 'Success is a choice'
Zille urged Johannesburg residents to vote for the DA, arguing that the city's decline could be reversed through different political choices.
"The one truth about South Africa is that the towns and cities that work best are under DA governance," she said.
She described the election as a choice between beginning Johannesburg's recovery and pushing it further into decline.
Zille also rejected suggestions that DA-governed municipalities prioritise wealthier communities at the expense of poorer residents.
She claimed that poorer communities receive greater state investment and attention, pointing to the City of Cape Town's infrastructure spending as an example.
The city was investing R42 billion in extending infrastructure, she said, with 75% earmarked for poorer communities.
Zille also highlighted her previous executive experience, saying it had taught her how to navigate local government legislation, work with unions and appoint people capable of doing their jobs.
On the prospect of coalition government, she said the DA was still targeting an outright majority of 136 seats in Johannesburg's 270-seat council.
If it fell short, the party would consider its options and choose the "least bad option" to establish a stable government.
Asked specifically about working with the ANC, she did not rule it out.
RELATED: Herman Mashaba confident he will be Joburg Mayor again
Mashaba: 'I have unfinished business'
Mashaba, who previously served as Johannesburg mayor between 2016 and 2019, said he wanted another opportunity to complete the work he had started.
"I have unfinished business," he told Bingwa.
He said the city needed a tough, no-nonsense leader who could establish a professional administration and improve services for all residents.
Mashaba also proposed giving the private sector long leases on city properties to provide affordable accommodation and create job opportunities.
But his interview made clear that coalition negotiations could be complicated.
He said ActionSA was prepared to work with any political party, provided it accepted three conditions: making corruption public enemy number one, committing to service delivery for all residents, and ensuring undocumented foreign nationals were not welcome in municipalities governed by the party.
However, he singled out Zille as an obstacle to a possible agreement with the DA.
Mashaba accused her of having worked with ANC leaders to remove him from office during his previous term and repeated his refusal to work with her.
"If DA wants to really work with ActionSA, they must remove Helen Zille," he said.
Zille, for her part, said she had no personal animosity towards Mashaba and was focused on getting Johannesburg working again.
RELATED: Joburg mayor Dada Morero can't say how long it will take to fix the city's potholes and streetlights
Morero acknowledges Johannesburg's challenges
ANC incumbent Dada Morero said his party was making a final push to retain control of Johannesburg and believed it would perform better in the election.
However, he confirmed that the ANC had not yet settled on its mayoral candidate should it retain power.
The party had shortlisted three candidates and would make its final decision after the election results were announced, but before the new council was constituted.
Asked why voters should support him when his own party had not confirmed him as its preferred candidate, Morero said the electoral system was based on voting for parties rather than individuals.
He also acknowledged that Johannesburg residents would judge his leadership against the city's persistent service delivery problems.
These include water shortages, electricity disruptions and refuse collection failures.
Morero attributed the recent water shortages partly to supply problems involving Rand Water, saying the city's reservoirs were not full and could not supply Johannesburg adequately.
He said the city was working with Rand Water and the water minister to address the problem.
Morero also defended his accessibility, pointing to community meetings, direct WhatsApp communication and the city's call centre as ways residents could raise complaints.
On the closure of Johannesburg's Metro Centre, he said the building had been declared non-compliant with health and safety standards and was no longer insured because of structural damage.
A public-private partnership process was under way, with implementation expected to begin in 2027.
RELATED: EFF Joburg mayoral candidate Tlaleng Mofokeng ready to serve residents
Mofokeng calls for a radical change in governance
EFF mayoral candidate Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng argued that Johannesburg needed to move away from what she described as an adversarial relationship between the municipality and its residents.
She said the EFF wanted to restore the city's dignity and create a municipality that supported residents and businesses rather than simply collecting debts.
Her proposals include introducing ward-based people's assemblies, giving residents a more direct role in council decisions and ensuring greater oversight of municipal entities.
Mofokeng also criticised what she described as bloated municipal bureaucracy, arguing that the current structure of the city's entities made accountability and democratic oversight difficult.
She said the EFF wanted the municipality to take greater control of bulk water and electricity purchasing, distribution and revenue collection.
The party also wanted to reduce water losses before supplies reached residents' taps.
Mofokeng said the city would need additional financial support from National Treasury, proposing that it negotiate for a grant of up to 15% to help address its infrastructure needs.
She argued that Johannesburg needed to use its existing resources more effectively while planning for future growth.