Kunene rejects Zille for Joburg but leaves a DA deal open
JOHANNESBURG — Patriotic Alliance deputy president Kenny Kunene insists Helen Zille will not become Johannesburg’s next mayor, despite the DA’s strong provisional election showing, while leaving open the possibility of his party entering a coalition with the DA. His remarks signal opposition to its mayoral candidate without ruling out cooperation with the party itself.
In remarks circulated, Kunene expressed strong personal opposition to Zille but said the PA was willing to consider a Johannesburg coalition with the DA. His assertion about the mayoralty is a political position, rather than a confirmed outcome: counting and the eventual election of the mayor are separate processes, and no agreement establishing the next city administration has been confirmed in the material reviewed.
The DA was leading Johannesburg with about 40% of the vote when just over half the city’s votes had been counted, according to reporting on Friday. That put the party ahead of its rivals but left it short of an outright majority at that stage, making support from other parties potentially decisive. The figures remained provisional.
Kunene is himself the PA’s Johannesburg mayoral candidate. His opposition to Zille therefore comes from a rival seeking the same office, rather than a neutral participant in negotiations. ActionSA leader and former Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba is also seeking a return to the position.
Resistance to a Zille mayoralty has also emerged within the ANC. Its head of elections, Mdumiseni Ntuli, told The Political Arena that some party leaders would be uncomfortable supporting her following her campaign rhetoric. His comments indicate difficulties facing a possible ANC–DA arrangement, although they do not establish a final negotiating decision by either party.
Johannesburg voters elect councillors, who subsequently choose the executive mayor from among their members. The largest party does not automatically secure the position, while a smaller party cannot determine the outcome alone. The final council composition and the support candidates assemble among councillors will determine whether Kunene’s prediction holds.
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