Sometimes two-Saturday ago, I was standing in between Biccard and Jorissen Street when I looked up at a digital billboard, the very one at Nedbank offices in Braamfontein; lol and behold the advert that came in was one of Helen Zilles.
"BELIEVE in JOBURG - HELEN ZILLE - for Mayor", at first, I laughed at this old political-witch that have given South African's politics a run for donkey years.
A member of the national assembly, from 2004 to 2006, executive mayor of Cape Town, from 2006 to 2009, member of Western Cape Provincial Parliament from 2009 to 2019 and finally, Premier of the Western Cape, from 2009 to 2019.
I ask myself what more she wants?
Born in Hillbrow, Johannesburg. the eldest child of
parents who separately left Germany in the 1930s to avoid Nazi persecution due to the fact that her maternal grandfather and paternal grandmother were Jewish. Zille was believed to be the grandniece of the Berlin painter Heinrich Zille.
A daughter of immigrants whose works over the years involve in political journalism, anti-apartheid movement, education policy, mayoral activities; just to mention a few. Under her DA leadership, she failed in her quest to win the country in the poll hence her achievements over the years in her political involvement in Cape Town was tarnished with drug abuse and gangs' violence all over the cape coast.
Though, born in Joburg, she devoted all her time in building a home far away from home in Cape Town and now reality kicks in as the latest Joburg returnee wants to keep Joburg in her fob!
Helen Zille held her first-ever TikTok live on February 5, 2026, at 6 PM. She promoted the event on her Facebook and TikTok accounts as part of her "#BelieveInJoburg" campaign for the 2026 municipal elections.
Will the ANC and other political parties allow DA's grip on Joburg? The race is on and I will be somehere watching until one day I run City of Johannesburg for the better of all!
By Olagunju, Success Taiwo.
