Black DA MP boosts Zille’s clever pitch

2026-03-04 - 05:03

Love her or loathe her, you have to admit that the DA’s Helen Zille certainly know hows to play the media and the importance of an in-your-face PR campaign. Not surprising, then, that she has been out and about in Johannesburg accumulating clever video clips and sound bites as her campaign for mayor of Joburg kicks into high gear. Over the weekend, she surprised taverngoers in Soweto by pitching up in Orland Pirates regalia to watch the match. She joined in the joy and angst as well as any other supporter and was even pictured taking a swig from a beer bottle. That was manna from heaven for her detractors, who accused her of setting a bad example with booze – until she put them in their place by producing the receipt for the zero alcohol beers she bought before the game. ALSO READ: Mashaba’s message to Zille on wayward councillors: ‘The sooner she takes these people, the better’ Next in her sights was premier Panyaza Lesufi, who unwittingly gave the DA an idea for a big billboard after his ill-considered comments that if people were struggling for water in Gauteng, they should go to a hotel and shower... as he does. It is true that social media campaigns and clever billboards do not win elections – and the DA has still to overcome the major hurdle that many black South Africans feel it is a party for white people. That is why the appearance of Luyolo Mphithi, the DA’s former youth leader, campaigning to be regional leader, was so important. He was frank about it: he can bring in the black votes, he said. That is much, much easier said than done. If it were easy, the DA would have done it long before now, instead of appearing as a party where up-and-coming black politicians are regarded with suspicion and then sidelined. The ANC’s inept governance will play right into Zille’s and Mphiti’s hands. NOW READ: ‘I stand behind her’: Mphithi says he will work with Zille to get township votes in Johannesburg