DA by-election win in Joburg’s Ward 102 clears way for Zille to join metro’s council

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has won the by-election in Johannesburg’s Ward 102, clearing the way for its mayoral candidate Helen Zille to join the metro’s council.

Bea Campbell-Cloete is the new ward councillor for Ward 102, having won the seat by landslide victory, receiving over 94% of the total votes.

Campbell-Cloete was a DA PR councillor and with her victory, it means there is now a one seat vacancy in the party’s PR allocation, which is expected to be filled by Zille.

Johannesburg’s Ward 102 is a safe DA seat, with the party having won it in all elections and by-elections dating back to 2000.

The seat became vacant in 2025 following the resignation of former DA councillor Lucinda Harman, who complained that she was receiving death threats from a construction mafia interested in some of the housing projects in the ward.

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Ward 102 comprises parts of Randburg, Bryanston and Blairgowrie.

With Campbell-Cloete’s victory, the DA now has a vacancy for a PR councillor.

The DA’s regional chairperson, Wendy Alexander, previously told EWN that the party was considering its mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, Zille, as one of the candidates to take up the vacancy.

“Should a vacancy arise, we would then discuss what would be strategically advantageous because there are pros and cons to all; Helen [Zille] being part of the council, not being part of the council. We haven’t made a decision either way, but we are making sure we we have options available to us.”

Zille is holding a media briefing on Thursday afternoon, where she is expected to announce that she will be joining the Johannesburg council as a DA PR councillor.