Helen Zille puts focus on local government basics in bid for Johannesburg mayorship

The Democratic Alliance’s (DA) mayoral candidate for Johannesburg Helen Zille, has said local government is not about political ideology but about doing the basic things right. 

Zille was officially announced as the party’s chosen candidate to lead the city of gold at an event in Soweto on Saturday.

READ: Zille ready to start knocking on doors and campaigning

The experienced politician has laid out her agenda for returning the city to its former glory. 

Zille said the first basic of local government is having elected public representatives with a desire to serve and improve their communities. 

"They must not use their positions to steal from the people they are supposed to serve. The city administration must be staffed with skilled, ethical and capable professionals. These officials must be appointed for what they know rather than who they know or are related to. They must be rewarded for excellence and accountable for failure. You see, local government isn’t about ideology or grand ideals – it is about grand responsibility," said Zille