The Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa's main opposition party, has launched its campaign to take over the governance of Johannesburg from the ruling African National Congress (ANC) in upcoming local elections. The DA has named veteran activist Helen Zille to lead this crucial campaign.

• Helen Zille, aged 74, will lead the DA's campaign for Johannesburg mayor.
• The local elections are scheduled between November 2026 and January 2027.
• Zille highlighted Johannesburg's "devastating example of what bad government can do" during a ceremony in Soweto.
• President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged that DA councils often perform better than ANC councils.