Overview
- At a 7 March launch at Johannesburg City Hall, DA mayoral candidate Helen Zille unveiled a five-priority rescue manifesto to reverse service failures and instability in the metro.
- The plan commits to ring-fencing water and electricity revenues for maintenance and to partnering with the private sector to repair and expand infrastructure.
- Roads targets include fixing reported potholes within 72 hours and keeping 95% of traffic lights operational, supported by tamper-proof monitoring at intersections.
- Zille aims to attract at least 200,000 jobs by restoring reliable services and investor confidence, citing recent data showing Johannesburg lost 49,000 jobs as Cape Town gained 69,000.
- The platform promises tougher law enforcement, action against hijacked buildings and corruption, a professionalised administration with performance management, and blames ANC-led coalitions for the city’s decline, as analysts caution progress will face fiscal and bureaucratic constraints.