DA Gauteng faces internal strife over Zille's Johannesburg mayoral bid

THE DA in Gauteng is facing internal divisions as senior members have expressed discontent over Federal Council chairperson Helen Zille's interest in contesting as the DA candidate for the Johannesburg mayoral job ahead of the 2026 local government elections.

- MASHUDU SADIKE

With 13 candidates already throwing their hats into the ring, Zille's potential candidacy has sparked debate within the party.

At the weekend, Zille made her intentions known that she was considering contesting the mayoral seat in the Johannesburg metro ahead of the elections.

However, some senior DA members in Gauteng feel that Zille's decision to contest for the mayoral position undermines the party's leadership in the province and in Johannesburg.

“It cannot be that we were responsible for deposing the ANC and then leaders of yesterday want to rein in on our success,” said a senior member who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“There is no continuity in this party, and to be honest with you, I'm not the only one who feels this way...We will continue to bleed members if this goes on,” they added.

“We have seen this, year in, year out, with the leaders of the ANC not wanting to vacate positions of power. This led to the party's downfall as there were no new ideas. It's sad that we have officials who want to hog power.”