The DA in the Johannesburg caucus is not fazed by federal leader Helen Zille availing herself for the city’s mayoral candidacy.
On Sunday rumours emerged that the party’s federal chairperson and former Cape Town mayor and Western Cape premier has been approached to stand for Johannesburg’s top job.
Zille expressed interest in running for mayor of Johannesburg in the local government elections in 2026, and is said to be considering it.
However, DA caucus leader in the city Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku said she would not take offence at the mooted move, adding that competition was welcome in the party.
“I don’t think this is an indictment on the leadership of the DA that exists in the city. In fact, I think it opens up the pool for everybody. The DA has internal processes to recruit candidates from everywhere. You don’t automatically become a mayoral candidate by virtue of being a caucus leader. Anyone can apply, even an ordinary member of the DA,” she said.
Kayser-Echeozonjoku explained that if the interested individual fits the advertised criteria, nothing bars them from declaring availability. Instead, she welcomed the competition.
“There are no restrictions, anyone can apply. It does not prohibit the federal council chair or even the party leader from standing. It just means that we all need to compete because the process is not automatic.”
Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero poured cold water on the DA’s move, questioning whether the DA believed in its current leadership in the city’s ranks, saying this announcement casts doubt on their councillors.
“The DA made that statement knowing that they’ve got a leadership in Johannesburg. The problem could be with the DA acknowledging and recognising their own people in the city.”
The DA has had a track record of bringing in candidates externally from their party members in councils.
When former mayor Mpho Phalatse was brought into the party and fielded as mayor, the caucus leader was Leah Knott.
Mmusi Maimane during his tenure as DA leader, was brought in to contest as the party's mayoral candidate in the 2011 local government elections.
Tshwane mayor Nasiphi Moya, whose predecessor Cilliers Brink was an import from Cape Town, said the move was interesting.
Brink was a MP in the National Assembly before being brought into Tshwane as a councillor. He was sworn in shortly after as the executive mayor after the ousting of former mayor Randall Williams.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.