Helen Zille performed worse than Herman Mashaba in Johannesburg a decade ago despite spending R200 million on her campaign

Freedom Front Plus leader Corné Mulder said that Helen Zille spent R200 million on her Johannesburg campaign but still performed worse than Herman Mashaba did in 2016.

He shared this information during a discussion about the coalition negotiations with Alec Hogg on Biznews.

In the 2026 local government elections, the Democratic Alliance, with Zille as the mayoral candidate, received 34.85% of the vote in Johannesburg.

In the 2016 local government election, the Democratic Alliance, with Mashaba as the mayoral candidate, received 37.23% of the vote.

“In Johannesburg, the elephant in the room is that Zille was hoping to get more than 50%,” Mulder said.

“My information is that R200 million went into that campaign, and they didn’t get anywhere close to 50%.”

“People should understand that Zille ended with 34.85%. Ten years ago, in 2016, Herman Mashaba ended with 37.23% in Johannesburg.”

“There has not been progress in ten years, despite the amount of money that was spent using private donations. That’s just the reality.”

He said that the situation means that a coalition government needs to be formed, and that the DA, ActionSA, and the Freedom Front Plus must make this happen.

“We have to find a way to come to an agreement and find a way forward for Johannesburg,” Mulder said.

He pointed to personal clashes and past problems, citing the animosity between Herman Mashaba and Helen Zille.

Another issue is that, while the DA received the most votes in Tshwane, the incumbent mayor is from ActionSA, which should be taken into account.

Despite these issues, Mulder is confident that the Democratic Alliance, ActionSA, and the Freedom Front Plus can form a stable coalition to rule the Gauteng metros.

“If we bring these three parties together, we can find a way to accommodate the different strong personalities and competent people who all want to serve,” he said.

“We have to find a way. We cannot allow these issues to prevent us from steering the country in the right direction and open the door for the ANC.”