Tlaleng Mofokeng dismisses Zille in Joburg mayoral race as EFF eyes city battle
EFF national leader Tlaleng Mofokeng has brushed aside Helen Zille’s bid for Johannesburg mayor, saying the veteran DA politician is “no competitor” in the c...
EFF national leader Tlaleng Mofokeng has brushed aside Helen Zille’s bid for Johannesburg mayor, saying the veteran DA politician is “no competitor” in the city’s political contest.
The remarks sharpen the rivalry around Johannesburg, where control of the metro remains one of South Africa’s most closely watched local power struggles. For the EFF, the race is about more than one name on a ballot. It is about whether the party can keep pressure on the DA and other rivals in Gauteng’s biggest city.
Johannesburg remains a prize
Johannesburg has long been a political test case for South Africa’s opposition parties. The mayoral contest draws attention well beyond the city because whoever wins must deal with crumbling infrastructure, service delivery complaints and the constant push and pull of coalition politics.
Zille’s entry into the race adds another layer. A former DA leader and one of the country’s most recognisable political figures, she carries name recognition few local candidates can match. But Mofokeng’s dismissal suggests the EFF is intent on framing the contest as a wider fight over influence, not a simple face-off between personalities.
Coalitions and pressure points
The battle for Johannesburg also comes as smaller parties continue to wield outsized leverage in South African politics. Recent analysis has pointed to the “tyranny of the tiny” — the ability of small parties to retain big power after polls and shape outcomes far beyond their size.
That reality matters in metros like Johannesburg, where fragile coalitions can decide who governs and for how long. In that setting, each party is trying to project strength before the next round of local political bargaining.
Mofokeng’s line on Zille fits that mood. It is a public show of confidence, but also a warning to rivals that the EFF does not intend to treat the DA’s move as decisive. The mayoral race, for now, remains open terrain. And in Johannesburg, that can change fast.
