The DA on March 11 officially launched its campaign for the upcoming 2026 Local Government Election in JB Marks, with mayoral candidate Prof Theo Venter leading the launch in Potchefstroom.

The name of the campaign is “A JB Marks that works.” The event took place at the corner of Govan Mbeki Road and Retief Street, next to The Square, where a large campaign billboard featuring Venter was revealed as part of the party’s election drive.

Venter was joined by Provincial Chairperson Cllr Carin Visser, Provincial Campaign Chairperson CJ Steyl MPL, as well as DA JB Marks councillors and party activists. Venter stated that he will engage directly with residents across all 34 wards in JB Marks, to listen to their concerns and to identify real solutions to get JB Marks working again and incorporate these into a comprehensive manifesto that will guide the DA’s programme of action.

According to Venter, the purpose of the event was to introduce the party’s campaign message and unveil the election banner that will form part of the DA’s campaign in the municipality.

“The purpose of the day was to reveal the billboard and introduce our campaign theme as we move closer to the 2026 local government election,” he said.

Venter explained that the campaign will focus on responsive governance and improving basic service delivery for residents in the JB Marks Local Municipality.

“The theme is essentially about what we want to do differently. We want to look at the things that have gone wrong in the past and address them,” he said.

He added that reducing corruption, improving financial management, and strengthening service delivery will be key priorities for the party.

“We know the city council faces many financial limitations, but we believe the available resources can be managed much better,” Venter said.

In his speech, Venter stated that the strengthening the relationship between the North-West University (NWU) and the municipality is a key priority for the DA, specifically to address traffic management around the campus, the maintenance of key access roads to the university, and improved municipal bylaw enforcement related to student housing in surrounding neighbourhoods.

“Established sports infrastructure in JB Marks also presents significant opportunities for tourism and economic growth. However, poor maintenance of facilities and access roads, along with rising crime, is undermining the municipality’s ability to fully benefit from these opportunities. Crucially, attention must be given to maximise local economic development and growth to create jobs, so that all JB marks residents can access opportunity and prosper. Here a responsible and innovative DA-led government will partner with the business sector to get JB Marks residents working,” he added.

The launch forms part of the DA’s preparations for the 2026 Local Government Election, which the party believes could mark a significant shift in the political landscape of municipalities across the country.