The City of Johannesburg Leaders Debate, hosted by Arena Holdings in partnership with Wits University, brought together leaders of major South African parties to discuss pressing issues ahead of the November 4 local government elections. The debate saw clashes between leaders of the ANC, DA, EFF, IFP, and ActionSA on topics including corruption, coalition governance, immigration, and service delivery. The discussion often returned to the question of whether Johannesburg's recent history of unstable coalitions could be overcome by a single-party administration or a different coalition configuration.
DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis argued that Johannesburg had become a "failed state" over the past decade under administrations led by both the ANC and DA. He said the DA would seek an outright majority in the city, citing the need for stability and effective governance. Hill-Lewis praised former DA leader Helen Zille, saying she was capable of turning around the city's fortunes. In response, EFF leader Julius Malema rejected the characterization of the EFF as a source of "chaotic" coalition government, challenging Hill-Lewis to identify a municipality where the party had governed chaotically.
The exchange between Hill-Lewis and Malema escalated when Hill-Lewis raised the VBS Mutual Bank scandal and parliamentary findings against former EFF deputy president Floyd Shivambu. Malema disputed Hill-Lewis's characterization of the finding as the EFF being "found guilty" of corruption, arguing that the parliamentary finding concerned Shivambu's failure to disclose the payment rather than a finding that the EFF had run a corrupt municipality. Malema also pointed to the EFF's participation in local government, including MMCs responsible for health and public safety in Tshwane.
The debate also exposed differences over immigration and ethnic mobilisation. Malema said political mobilisation based on ethnicity or race was unsustainable and argued that South Africa's constitutional order required the country to unite its population. He rejected xenophobic vigilantism, saying ordinary citizens should not be responsible for determining whether someone was legally in the country. IFP leader Velenkosini Hlabisa agreed that ethnic mobilisation was dangerous but maintained that the IFP remained opposed to undocumented foreign nationals remaining in South Africa.
ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba said illegal immigration was one of several major issues facing Johannesburg, but rejected the idea that his political identity was defined solely by the issue. Mashaba, who served as Johannesburg mayor from 2016 to 2019, said his objective was to become mayor of Johannesburg again rather than to be associated primarily with his views on immigration. He also attacked the DA over his previous administration, alleging that he had fired three DA MMCs for corruption and that the party had subsequently refused to remove them as councillors.
The ANC's Nomvula Mokonyane used the debate to defend the party's "renewal" project and its record in Johannesburg, while acknowledging the ANC's previous shortcomings. She said the city had been filling strategic vacancies, including bringing in engineers and other technical personnel, and was working with national government departments to strengthen revenue management. Mokonyane said the ANC wanted revenue collected from water and electricity services to be ring-fenced so that it could return to the entities responsible for providing those services.
The debate ended with the parties presenting competing visions of what Johannesburg requires after years of coalition instability. The ANC emphasized institutional renewal and service delivery, the DA called for a majority administration, ActionSA focused on its coalition and governance record, the IFP stressed stable coalition arrangements and lawful immigration enforcement, and the EFF defended its participation in coalition governments while challenging its opponents to provide evidence of wrongdoing.
Key points
- The debate highlighted the differing views of major South African parties on coalition governance, corruption, and service delivery ahead of the November 4 local government elections.
- DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis and EFF leader Julius Malema clashed over the characterization of the EFF's role in coalition governments and allegations of corruption.
- The parties presented competing visions for Johannesburg's future, with the ANC emphasizing institutional renewal, the DA calling for a majority administration, and the EFF defending its participation in coalition governments.
