Since her announcement as the Democratic Alliance’s mayoral candidate for Johannesburg, Helen Zille has dominated national headlines. In this bonus episode of We Should Be Writing podcast, hosts Lulah Mapiye and Bonolo Mokonoto dissect a media meet-and-greet with the mayoral hopeful.

From her extensive political résumé to her controversial public utterance, we examine why the Democratic Alliance has chosen Hellen Zille as their candidate for the 2027 local mayoral elections.   

Additionally, we discuss the DA’s internal candidate selection process, coalition politics in Johannesburg, and whether voters should be asking not if Zille is qualified but whether she is the right leader for the city at this moment. 

Finally, we take to the streets to hear directly from Johannesburg residents about whether they believe Helen Zille could be the mayor the city needs. 

Listen as we break down the politics, the strategy, and what this all means for the future of Johannesburg.  

Listen to the We Should Be Writing podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We Should Be Writing is a podcast brought to you by Wits Vuvuzela, a project of the Honours in Journalism class at the Wits Centre for Journalism. Visit www.witsvuvuzela.com for more of our work and follow @Witsvuvuzela on TikTok and Instagram.    

Show Notes:    

Hosts: Lulah Mapiye and Bonolo Mokonoto  

Produced, written and edited by: Lulah Mapiye and Bonolo Mokonoto 

Music:  Stoic - Magic