Zille says she is still strong enough to become the mayor of Johannesburg.
The DA’s Joburg mayoral candidate Helen Zille speaks at a press conference on 6 May 2026 in Northcliff. Picture: Michel Bega/The Citizen
Questions are being raised if DA mayoral candidate Helen Zille will leave Johannesburg if her party fails to get a majority in the local government elections later this year.
Zille, who has been a resident of Cape Town for many years, moved to Johannesburg to pursue her ambition to become the metro’s mayor.
On Tuesday, a caller on Kofifi FM asked her if she would stay in Joburg after the elections. But Zille could not give a definite answer.
“My husband is 83 years old. He has got his church in Cape Town. He has got his life in Cape Town. We lived in a small retirement village. He does not want to move everything if he is not 100% sure we are going to win.
“I obviously have to respect him because he has made a lot of sacrifices in his life so that I can do the work that I do… There are about enough sacrifices that I can ask my husband to make for me, so let’s see what happens in November,” she said.
Zille said she has shown that she is committed to fixing Johannesburg.
“I can do no more than I have already done to demonstrate my commitment to Joburg. The question now is, are the voters committed enough to Joburg to help us turn this around?”
Zille’s connection to Cape Town
Even though Zille is based in Johannesburg, she said she still visits Cape Town to see her grandchildren.
“I have two grown-up sons and they can live wherever they like. If I want to live near them, I can because I have two grandchildren and I miss them terribly. I do go back to Cape Town once every six weeks to see my family and that is my choice. However, I live in Joburg and Joburg is now home,” she said.
Zille said she had given up her life in Cape Town to dedicate herself to winning the local government elections for the DA in Johannesburg.
“My original hometown is Joburg, I love Joburg, but more than that I love South Africa and I know South Africa will go on a downward spiral if Joburg fails.”
Why did Zille come to Joburg?
Zille said another reason she took up the Johannesburg mayoral campaign is because she felt that she is still strong and healthy enough to take up the challenge.
“I am still passionate about the job,” she said.
