Zille unveils five priorities if elected Joburg mayor

The Democratic Alliance (DA)’s mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, Helen Zille, has unveiled five top priorities, which she has vowed to focus on if elected to the city’s highest office.

Among these priorities are delivering reliable water supply, fixing the city’s roads, creating jobs, fighting corruption, and establishing what she describes as a modern government.

With the country fast approaching the local government elections, Zille said she believes only the blue party can save the City of Johannesburg.

Dozens of DA supporters gathered at the Johannesburg City Hall on Saturday, where she announced the five pledges that will form the basis of her mayoral campaign.

One of the biggest challenges facing the current administration in the City of Johannesburg is the ongoing water supply crisis, largely driven by ageing infrastructure and rising consumption.

The city has been transparent about the fact that it simply does not have the funds needed to repair the failing infrastructure.

However, Zille, who has identified fixing the water supply as her top priority, said the real problem is a lack of political will to reverse the situation.

“The people of Johannesburg pay for these services, but they often don't get them. We will stop stealing and the wasting of public money. We will ring-fence the revenue that residents pay for essential services so that the money is used to fix and maintain those services. We will partner with the private sector to invest in infrastructure to keep this city running. Money collected for water must fix water.”

She said corruption will have no place in the city if she’s elected mayor.

“Our fourth pledge is to bring law and order. We will kill corruption, even if the corrupt try to kill us. We will kill corruption and make public spaces safer.”

While the president has yet to announce the official date for the elections, they are anticipated to likely take place in November.