It’s the H-squared, Helen and Herman show, with former Joburg mayor and ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba getting into the ring with Helen Zille.
The municipal election date has not been announced yet, but Joburg’s mayoral candidates are going to be the campaign season’s hottest ticket.
It’s going to be a performance that may make any other candidates somewhat irrelevant, because there’s no love lost between the former DA leader and her one-time partymate.
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Fight for mayor job
The contest is not going to be simply political. This time, it feels personal, too. It’s going to be a long race and it’s going to take an enormous amount of stamina to get past the polls, let alone win the title fight.
Zille’s got the momentum, but will Mashaba be serenading her political swansong as wary voters eventually make their mark? Zille, on the other hand, can be politically polarising.
Tannie Fix-it has long been seen as the person who really calls the shots in the DA, manoeuvres in the background and decides who’s in and who’s out at the flick of a finger. Some get the index finger, others a thumbs-up while yet another lot gets the middle finger.
Zille’s social media campaign
In DA circles it’s whispered that nobody crosses Zille. Her current social media campaign is really clever, pothole spas and traffic directing spoofs are funny, it makes a point, but humour has a short shelf life in a city where taps run dry.
There needs to be a stronger, more direct message that engenders trust, shows that she can still pack a punch and then, the bloody noses that follow.
Residents are baying for that, because they’re beyond gatvol. Expose corruption in Joburg, agitate to get people fired or handcuffed. Agitate the municipality to get out and fix things.
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Take the credit for pressured service delivery. Make magic for Joburgers, because that is what everyone is desperate for. Not just silly Instagram reels. As it is, Zille’s campaign for Johannesburg is likely what every other DA major metro candidate will rely on.
Because when Zille does well, the party does. And right now, since leader John Steenhuisen’s exit announcement and the purported three-pony race between Chris Pappas, Geordin Hill-Lewis and Solly Msimang for his job, the DA needs all hands on deck for a successful local government campaign.
What South Africans are looking for
In South African politics, the cult of personality is becoming increasingly important. But not in the American way. Populism has its place, but the people of Mzansi are looking for strong, decisive leaders that stick to their guns and get things done.
It’s here where Zille has an advantage. She’s never been between parties, she’s turned around a province, a city and led a major political organisation.
Mashaba ran Joburg quite well, but left before the job was done. He built his brand on opposition to the ANC, only to later choose political survival instead. Nobody is quite sure where or what ActionSA stands for; it feels as if it’s teetering on Ramaphosa-lite at the moment.
The H-squared rivalry will be the political showdown of the year.
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