Key Takeaways
- PAC leader Mzwanele Nyhontso warned Johannesburg residents that Helen Zille would only bring change for white people if elected mayor.
- He cited the DA’s governance of Cape Town as evidence, claiming black residents in townships continue to live in shacks and face high crime.
- Nyhontso described many South African municipalities as suffering from systematic decay due to incompetence and corruption, citing unreliable water, electricity, and street lighting.
- The PAC’s manifesto stresses land restitution, arguing that dignified housing, schools, clinics, and small businesses depend on returning land to those in need.
- The PAC has nominated Thami ka Plaatjie—formerly of the ANC—as its Johannesburg mayoral candidate, while the MK party has put forward Bongani Baloyi for the same post.
PAC Leader’s Warning Against Helen Zille
Pan Africanist Congress of Azania (PAC) leader Mzwanele Nyhontso delivered a stark warning to Johannesburg’s electorate on Saturday, 29 August 2026, urging residents not to vote for the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Helen Zille in the upcoming mayoral race. Speaking at a rally in Soweto where the PAC unveiled its manifesto ahead of the 4 November local‑government elections, Nyhontso declared unequivocally that “Zille will not bring change to you.” He argued that, despite her reputation as a capable administrator, her leadership would primarily benefit white residents while leaving black communities unchanged or worse off. The statement was intended to counteract any perception that the DA’s record in other cities could be transplanted successfully to Johannesburg.
Reference to the DA’s Record in Cape Town
To substantiate his claim, Nyhontso pointed to the DA’s stewardship of the City of Cape Town, which he presented as a cautionary example. He asserted that the lives of black people residing in the townships surrounding Cape Town have not improved under DA rule; many continue to inhabit informal shacks and endure pervasive violent crime. “You must be careful of [voting for her]. Don’t play with the idea that Cape Town is well run,” he warned, adding that DA governance has effectively turned the municipality into a system that works against the interests of the black majority. By invoking the lived experiences of Cape Town township residents, Nyhontso sought to illustrate that electoral promises of efficiency and service delivery often fail to translate into tangible benefits for marginalized communities.
Municipal Decay Across South Africa
Beyond the specific critique of Zille, Nyhontso painted a broader picture of municipal failure throughout the country. He described many South African municipalities as “wallowing in a state of utter hopelessness,” attributing this condition to a blend of administrative incompetence and entrenched corruption. According to him, a common feature of these failing administrations is the presiding over systematic decay of essential infrastructure. He highlighted concrete symptoms: taps that run dry, electricity that is erratic or largely unavailable, and street lights that have remained dark for extended periods. Such deficiencies, Nyhontso argued, erode public trust and exacerbate the daily struggles of ordinary citizens, particularly those already living on the margins.
Land Reform as a Core PAC Pillar
A significant portion of the PAC’s manifesto, as outlined by Nyhontso, centers on the question of land. He proclaimed that “without land, you don’t have dignity. And without land, you can’t claim your soul as your own,” framing land ownership as fundamental to human dignity and self‑determination. The PAC proposes that repossessed land be redirected to serve South Africans in need, specifically advocating for its use in housing, schools, clinics, and small‑business development. By bringing opportunities for investment, entrepreneurship, and employment closer to where people live, the party aims to transform land from a source of historical dispossession into a catalyst for community upliftment. Nyhontso emphasized that land reform is not merely a symbolic gesture but a practical necessity for alleviating poverty and reducing inequality.
PAC’s Mayoral Candidate for Johannesburg
In line with its renewed focus on grassroots representation, the PAC announced Thami ka Plaatjie as its official mayoral candidate for Johannesburg. Ka Plaatjie, who previously served in the African National Congress (ANC) before rejoining the PAC, brings a blend of ANC experience and PAC ideological commitment to the race. His candidacy is positioned as a direct challenge to both the DA’s Helen Zille and the ANC’s traditional dominance in the metro. Nyhontso highlighted Ka Plaatjie’s understanding of urban challenges, his commitment to land‑based solutions, and his pledge to confront municipal decay head‑on as reasons why Johannesburg residents should consider his platform a viable alternative.
MK Party’s Contender in the Johannesburg Race
The political landscape in Johannesburg is further complicated by the entry of the MK party, which on Friday named Bongani Baloyi as its mayoral candidate for the city. Baloyi’s nomination adds another layer of competition, signalling that the contest will not be a simple two‑horse race between the DA and the ANC‑aligned PAC. While the MK party’s manifesto was not detailed in the source material, its participation underscores the fragmentation and heightened scrutiny facing Johannesburg’s municipal politics ahead of the November elections. Voters will now have to weigh multiple visions for the city’s future, each promising different approaches to governance, service delivery, and socio‑economic reform.
Conclusion: A Call for Informed Voting
Mzwanele Nyhontso’s address in Soweto encapsulates the PAC’s broader narrative: a warning against perceived racial bias in DA governance, a diagnosis of widespread municipal failure, and a prescription rooted in land restitution and community‑centered development. By juxtaposing the DA’s record in Cape Town with the lived realities of black South Africans, the PAC seeks to dissuade voters from supporting Helen Zille on the basis of purported efficiency alone. Simultaneously, the party puts forward Thami ka Plaatjie as a candidate who embodies its land‑focused, anti‑corruption stance, while acknowledging the emergence of alternative contenders such as Bongani Baloyi of the MK party. As Johannesburg residents prepare to cast their ballots on 4 November, the debate will hinge on whether they prioritize technocratic promises of service delivery or demand structural reforms that address historical inequities and the tangible decay of municipal infrastructure. The outcome will shape not only the city’s immediate trajectory but also serve as a barometer for the broader political directions South Africa may take in the coming years.