Zille defers Johannesburg Council decision until after DA Federal Congress

Helen Zille, the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, has announced she will only decide whether to join the municipal council after the party’s elective congress in April.

The DA currently has a vacancy on its list of Proportional Representative (PR) councillors in Johannesburg.

This follows the recent by-election victory of Bea Campbell-Cloete in Ward 102, which necessitated her move from a PR seat to a ward councillor position.

Since relocating from Cape Town to Johannesburg, Zille has maintained a demanding schedule.

She is currently balancing her campaign for the Johannesburg mayoralty with her responsibilities as the DA's Federal Council Chairperson, a role often involving the management of internal party dynamics.

Speaking to the media during an event in Pretoria today, Zille expressed concerns over her current capacity to take on further official duties.

"When you’re a councillor, you don’t go in there and warm a seat," Zille stated.

"There’s a lot of work to do, a lot of reports to read and a lot of issues to take up. I can’t do three jobs at the moment. I can’t run a campaign, be the SG [Federal Council Chairperson] and be a councillor."

The DA's Federal Congress is scheduled for April 11th and 12th.

Having served two terms as the Federal Council Chairperson, Zille confirmed she will not be contesting for re-election to that specific leadership post.

“I’m waiting until after April, when I’ve stood back from my current position in the DA," Zille explained. "Then I will think very, very carefully around whether or not it’s in the best interest of our campaign for me to become a councillor.”