Plans are reportedly underway to secure a Johannesburg city council seat for Democratic Alliance (DA) federal council chair Helen Zille, sources say. The move would see Zille entering the council through a proportional representation (PR) vacancy, potentially as early as March.
Zille, who is also the DA’s mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, has indicated she would welcome the opportunity. Party insiders believe an early appointment could give her firsthand insight into the city’s pressing challenges ahead of what is expected to be a fierce contest for control of South Africa’s largest economic hub.
The Johannesburg municipal council is made up of 270 seats, split evenly between 135 ward seats and 135 PR seats. PR seats are allocated to ensure each party’s total representation reflects the percentage of votes they received across the metro.
Councillor Chris Avant-Smith, DA Johannesburg metro deputy chief whip, confirmed a PR seat would soon become available but did not confirm whether Zille was the frontrunner. “As a party of law and order, we will follow all due processes when allocating the seat,” he said.
The ANC, which once held a strong majority in Johannesburg, has struggled since 2016 amid allegations of corruption and mismanagement, forcing coalition governance. The DA sees this as an opportunity to gain control of the city, whose political outcome is widely regarded as a bellwether for national trends.
Johannesburg remains South Africa’s economic powerhouse, generating around 17% of the country’s GDP and hosting numerous corporate headquarters, including the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Since 2016, the metro has had nine executive mayors, highlighting the instability of coalition politics.
Both Zille and current mayor Dada Morero have stated they are willing to work in coalition arrangements should no party secure an outright majority in the upcoming municipal elections.
The appointment of Zille to the council would mark the beginning of what many analysts predict will be one of the most closely watched mayoral campaigns in South African politics.