702

@radio702.bsky.social

6 months ago

‘Helen Zille is like marmite; you either love her or hate her’ – Mandy Wiener The DA has named Helen Zille as their Johannesburg mayoral candidate. “I think the Helen Zille PR machine is in full force,

"... the #HelenZille PR machine is in full force.”

- Mandy Wiener, The Midday Report

CapeTalk

@capetalk.bsky.social

6 months ago

‘Helen Zille is like marmite; you either love her or hate her’ – Mandy Wiener The DA has named Helen Zille as their Johannesburg mayoral candidate. “I think the Helen Zille PR machine is in full force,

"... the #HelenZille PR machine is in full force.”

- Mandy Wiener, The Midday Report

702

@radio702.bsky.social

6 months ago

'Joburg is entirely salvageable' - Helen Zille, Mayoral candidate The DA has announced its Federal Chair, Helen Zille, as its nominated candidate for the Mayoral position in Johannesburg.

"Even though many of them may not like me... if they love #Joburg enough, they will realise that the #DA is the only party that can pull Joburg back from the brink."

- #HelenZille, Mayoral candidate for #Johannesburg - DA

CapeTalk

@capetalk.bsky.social

6 months ago

'Joburg is entirely salvageable' - Helen Zille, Mayoral candidate The DA has announced its Federal Chair, Helen Zille, as its nominated candidate for the Mayoral position in Johannesburg.

"Even though many of them may not like me... if they love #Joburg enough, they will realise that the #DA is the only party that can pull Joburg back from the brink."

- #HelenZille, Mayoral candidate for #Johannesburg - DA

Faizel Patel

@faizelpatel.bsky.social

6 months ago

'Genocide is a very big word...' Zille sidesteps Israel's atrocities in Gaza [VIDEO] | The Citizen The ANC has condemned the DA’s defence and continued support of the “apartheid State of Israel”, following the party’s federal chairperson, Helen Zille,

Genocide is a very big word…’ Zille sidesteps Israel’s atrocities in Gaza [VIDEO] #HelenZille #DA #Gaza #Genocide #Israel

www.citizen.co.za/news/south-a...

702

@radio702.bsky.social

6 months ago

Helen Zille to focus on maintenance to tackle Joburg’s water crisis: ‘It is a disgrace’ The former Mayor of Cape Town returns to Johannesburg in the race for mayor. 947’s Anele and The Club interview Helen Zille.

“The City of #Johannesburg has replaced 17 kilometres of pipe in a year… #CapeTown has been doing over 200... Cape Town has one of the lowest wastages of water in the world… #Joburg loses 46% of its water.”

– #HelenZille, Johannesburg mayoral candidate - #DA

CapeTalk

@capetalk.bsky.social

6 months ago

Helen Zille to focus on maintenance to tackle Joburg’s water crisis: ‘It is a disgrace’ The former Mayor of Cape Town returns to Johannesburg in the race for mayor. 947’s Anele and The Club interview Helen Zille.

“The City of #Johannesburg has replaced 17 kilometres of pipe in a year… #CapeTown has been doing over 200... Cape Town has one of the lowest wastages of water in the world… #Joburg loses 46% of its water.”

– #HelenZille, Johannesburg mayoral candidate - #DA

702

@radio702.bsky.social

6 months ago

Solly Msimanga defends DA nomination of Helen Zille as Joburg mayoral candidate amid concerns over township service delivery

"... it [the #DA] does care, the President has admitted that himself..."

- #SollyMsimanga, #Gauteng Provincial Leader - #DemocraticAlliance #HelenZille

CapeTalk

@capetalk.bsky.social

6 months ago

Solly Msimanga defends DA nomination of Helen Zille as Joburg mayoral candidate amid concerns over township service delivery

"... it [the #DA] does care, the President has admitted that himself..."

- #SollyMsimanga, #Gauteng Provincial Leader - #DemocraticAlliance #HelenZille

702

@radio702.bsky.social

6 months ago

Helen Zille promises Joburg turnaround as DA mayoral candidate: 'Fire in my belly to stop the rot' The former Cape Town mayor has been elected as the Democratic Alliance’s mayoral candidate for the City of Gold.

"... fire in my belly to stop the rot..."

- #HelenZille, #Johannesburg Mayoral Candidate - #DA

(Bongani Bingwa interviews the former #CapeTown Mayor.)

CapeTalk

@capetalk.bsky.social

6 months ago

Helen Zille promises Joburg turnaround as DA mayoral candidate: 'Fire in my belly to stop the rot' The former Cape Town mayor has been elected as the Democratic Alliance’s mayoral candidate for the City of Gold.

"... fire in my belly to stop the rot..."

- #HelenZille, #Johannesburg Mayoral Candidate - #DA

(Bongani Bingwa interviews the former #CapeTown Mayor.)

702

@radio702.bsky.social

6 months ago

PA’s mayoral pick Kenny Kunene raises eyebrows: Did they just hand Joburg to the DA? Political commentator Goodenough Mashego suggests the Patriotic Alliance may have sabotaged its own chances by fielding Kenny Kunene as their Johannesburg mayoral candidate.

"... They are basically thinking, if #HelenZille is going to run for the #DA, they might as well send #KennyKunene... they're handing it over to the DA..."

- Goodenough Mashego, political commentator

CapeTalk

@capetalk.bsky.social

6 months ago

PA’s mayoral pick Kenny Kunene raises eyebrows: Did they just hand Joburg to the DA? Political commentator Goodenough Mashego suggests the Patriotic Alliance may have sabotaged its own chances by fielding Kenny Kunene as their Johannesburg mayoral candidate.

"... They are basically thinking, if #HelenZille is going to run for the #DA, they might as well send #KennyKunene... they're handing it over to the DA..."

- Goodenough Mashego, political commentator

702

@radio702.bsky.social

9 months ago

Without the DA the National Dialogue will be useless – Helen Zille The DA will not be leaving the GNU after President Cyril Ramaphosa fired Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Andrew Whitfield.

“Now they can have a completely useless National Dialogue... It is the president’s fault, 100%.”

- #HelenZille #AndrewWhitfield

CapeTalk

@capetalk.bsky.social

9 months ago

Without the DA the National Dialogue will be useless – Helen Zille The DA will not be leaving the GNU after President Cyril Ramaphosa fired Deputy Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition Andrew Whitfield.

“Now they can have a completely useless National Dialogue... It is the president’s fault, 100%.”

- #HelenZille #AndrewWhitfield

702

@radio702.bsky.social

9 months ago

We interview Helen Zille: 'World’s confidence in South Africa premised on DA being in GNU' The Democratic Alliance has decided not to back the national dialogue and to vote against budgets presented by ministers linked to corruption.

We interview #HelenZille: 'World’s confidence in #SouthAfrica premised on #DA being in GNU': buff.ly/ryPueZB

The #DemocraticAlliance has decided not to back the national dialogue and to vote against budgets presented by ministers linked to corruption.

CapeTalk

@capetalk.bsky.social

9 months ago

We interview Helen Zille: 'World’s confidence in South Africa premised on DA being in GNU' The Democratic Alliance has decided not to back the national dialogue and to vote against budgets presented by ministers linked to corruption.

We interview #HelenZille: 'World’s confidence in #SouthAfrica premised on #DA being in GNU': buff.ly/ryPueZB

The #DemocraticAlliance has decided not to back the national dialogue and to vote against budgets presented by ministers linked to corruption.

702

@radio702.bsky.social

9 months ago

We interview Helen Zille: 'World’s confidence in South Africa premised on DA being in GNU' The Democratic Alliance has decided not to back the national dialogue and to vote against budgets presented by ministers linked to corruption.

The #DA will vote against budgets presented by ministers linked to corruption, says #HelenZille. #AndrewWhitfield

CapeTalk

@capetalk.bsky.social

9 months ago

We interview Helen Zille: 'World’s confidence in South Africa premised on DA being in GNU' The Democratic Alliance has decided not to back the national dialogue and to vote against budgets presented by ministers linked to corruption.

The #DA will vote against budgets presented by ministers linked to corruption, says #HelenZille. #AndrewWhitfield

702

@radio702.bsky.social

9 months ago

Is Helen Zille going to run for Joburg Mayor? We interview Tshidi Madia... While Helen Zille confirms she's seriously considering a run for Johannesburg mayor, some aren’t convinced she’s in it for real.

"It's an indictment on the leadership having someone like #HelenZille, at the age of 74, wanting to run."

- Tshidi Madia, Associate Political Editor - EWN

CapeTalk

@capetalk.bsky.social

9 months ago

Is Helen Zille going to run for Joburg Mayor? We interview Tshidi Madia... While Helen Zille confirms she's seriously considering a run for Johannesburg mayor, some aren’t convinced she’s in it for real.

"It's an indictment on the leadership having someone like #HelenZille, at the age of 74, wanting to run."

- Tshidi Madia, Associate Political Editor - EWN

All Namibian News

@namibiannews.bsky.social

10 months ago

Helen Zille eyes Joburg mayorship after DA’s top picks decline post Zille told Daily Maverick that she would decide whether to apply to run for Johannesburg mayor by next week, as candidates who want to be considered have an application deadline of 15 June. DA federal chair Helen Zille is seriously considering a dramatic return to frontline politics as Johannesburg mayor. This comes after three high-profile candidates, most from business, turned down the party’s approach to throw their hats into the ring to lead the party’s Johannesburg campaign. The job was too hard-charging and the pay too low – mayors earn about R1.5-million a year. The local government election will happen in either late 2026 or early 2027. Zille told Daily Maverick that she would decide whether to apply by next week, as candidates who want to be considered have an application deadline of 15 June. “My whole family is in Cape Town,” she said, adding that her greatest joy now is seeing her grandchildren regularly and that they had a weekly adventure date. “My husband (retired sociologist Professor Johann Maree) has always been unbelievably supportive. He supports what I decide, but won’t come (to Johannesburg).” She said Maree, now 82, was happily settled in their retirement village and that if she decided to run and were successful, they would remain in touch daily. Her sons Paul and Thomas live nearby. “My family says it’s my decision.” A close associate said Zille had been troubled by the state of Johannesburg since about 2019, when she realised that most traffic lights did not work. Since last year’s election, she has spent much time in Gauteng planning the party’s local government campaign here and had a front-row seat to what distresses the City of Gold and its six million people. Her sister lives in Emmarentia, an old near-northern suburb often with no water or electricity due to the city’s regular outages. She said that should she run, she would live with her sister in her cottage. A mayoral candidate must be a resident of the city. Several DA councillors plan to contest the party primary. They must submit a formal application, undergo a screening test and prepare a presentation on their plan for the city. This presentation is made to a group of 15 party leaders, five each from the Johannesburg, provincial, and federal executives. They are also asked unscripted questions. Asked if a race would be moot should she decide to run, Zille said, “ Not at all.” She said formidable candidates were running. A senior official who spoke off the record said Johannesburg is “so far gone” that the party felt it needed a high-velocity candidate, as the DA has a strong chance of winning the city. An ANC-led coalition holds a slim majority in the city with the EFF, Patriotic Alliance and Action SA. Johannesburg has been under soft intervention by the Presidency since March. Its collapse has become visceral with multiday power and water outages so regular they barely make the news. Thousands of traffic lights are out at any time and potholes are so large they have become dongas and memes.  Zille previously told Daily Maverick that it would take about five years to turn the city around, but she says that was an undercount. “It will take more than five years (now) to stop the rot and turn the tide.” She noted Johannesburg had an infrastructure backlog of R200-billion and an annual budget of R86-billion. She said the city’s staff complement had grown by 86% since 2010. Asked what Zille had going for her for the task, the official said she had turned Cape Town around as urban blight slowly settled in around 2006, when she became that city’s mayor. Recently, she headed the party’s governance unit, which worked with councillors and representatives when they entered government. Mostly, he said, whether they liked her or not, Zille enjoyed trust in her ability to govern.  This graphic shows the job description that the DA set for candidates. DM The post Helen Zille eyes Joburg mayorship after DA’s top picks decline post appeared first on The Namibian.

#HelenZille #JoburgMayorship #DA #LocalElections #SouthAfricaPolitics

CapeTalk

@capetalk.bsky.social

10 months ago

Helen Zille for Mayor? ‘I have unfinished business in Johannesburg’ The DA is considering putting Helen Zille, who grew up in Johannesburg, forward as a candidate for Mayor.

“#SouthAfrica cannot succeed if #Joburg is broken.”

- #HelenZille, Chairperson of the Federal Council - #DA #Johannesburg

702

@radio702.bsky.social

10 months ago

Helen Zille for Mayor? ‘I have unfinished business in Johannesburg’ The DA is considering putting Helen Zille, who grew up in Johannesburg, forward as a candidate for Mayor.

“#SouthAfrica cannot succeed if #Joburg is broken.”

- #HelenZille, Chairperson of the Federal Council - #DA #Johannesburg

buff.ly/I63naBf

Faizel Patel

@faizelpatel.bsky.social

10 months ago

DA reaffirms 'longstanding' opposition to expropriation with nil compensation | The Citizen The DA's court challenge on the Expropriation Bill has caused tensions in the GNU.

DA reaffirms ‘longstanding’ opposition to expropriation with nil compensation #DA #ExpropriationBill #HelenZille

www.citizen.co.za/news/south-a...

702

@radio702.bsky.social

10 months ago

The Showmax Roast of Helen Zille: ‘Everyone brought their A-game!’ The Showmax Roast of Helen Zille starts streaming on Showmax today (Friday, 16 May).

“The roast of #HelenZille was something special."

- Stuart Taylor, Creative Director - Laugh #Africa Comedy Festival

(You can catch the roast on #Showmax.)

CapeTalk

@capetalk.bsky.social

10 months ago

The Showmax Roast of Helen Zille: ‘Everyone brought their A-game!’ The Showmax Roast of Helen Zille starts streaming on Showmax today (Friday, 16 May).

“The roast of #HelenZille was something special."

- Stuart Taylor, Creative Director - Laugh #Africa Comedy Festival

(You can catch the roast on #Showmax.)

All Namibian News

@namibiannews.bsky.social

11 months ago

Quotas vs transformation — DA’s legal attack on employment equity law splits the GNU After Helen Zille called the law ‘totalitarian’ and damaging to minorities in provinces like KZN and the Western Cape, the ANC hit back, reigniting a fundamental dispute over how transformation should occur in South Africa. The DA takes Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth to the Gauteng Division of the High Court on Tuesday, 6 May to challenge an amendment to the Employment Equity Amendment Act (affirmative action) which it says borders on the “totalitarian”. DA Federal Executive chairperson Helen Zille said the amendment introduces race quotas rather than targets, and runs foul of the fairness prescripts of the redress laws and the Constitution. This was said on the eve of the party’s clash with the ANC minister, a fellow member of the Government of National Unity (GNU). “[The amendment] sets absolute barriers [to work, for people] for the circumstances of their birth,” said Zille in a briefing on the court action. “It’s the very opposite of redress and transformation.” The DA will argue that the draft law should have “tagged” or alerted parliamentarians to its impact on provinces by invoking section 76 of the Constitution. Section 76 governs how Bills affecting provinces must be passed, and its focus is to ensure that provincial interests are considered. “It’s unconstitutional because it is manifestly unfair to, for example, Indians in KwaZulu-Natal or coloured people in the Western Cape,” said Zille. Labour Court judgments have found that the incorrect application of employment equity laws has excluded people from so-called minority groups. “You can’t have national targets applied provincially,” said Zille. “These are totalitarian powers without a place in a democracy.” DA supporters in Cape Town gather in protest against the Employment Equity Amendment Act and the government’s newly drafted race-based water licensing rights regulations on 26 July 2023. (Photo: Ziyanda Duba) More than 1,000 DA supporters march to Parliament to protest against the Employment Equity Act Draft Regulations on 26 July 2023. (Photo: Brenton Geach / Gallo Images) Toughening up employment equity laws The amendment law aims to toughen up affirmative action measures by allowing Meth to determine “sectoral numerical targets” — specific racial percentages for specified economic sectors. Here’s what it says: “The Minister may, after consulting the relevant sectors and with the advice of the [Employment Equity] Commission, for the purpose of ensuring the equitable representation of suitably qualified people from designated groups at all occupational levels in the workforce, by notice in the Gazette set numerical targets for any national economic sector identified.” Annual Employment Equity Commission reports show that executive and senior levels of staff at companies across the economy don’t represent South Africa’s population and remain dominated by white people, especially men. Under the cosh, businesses have baulked at the amendment because it introduces yet another layer of bureaucratic compliance work for companies already creaking under the weight of the regulatory state. The Labour Department excluded companies employing fewer than 50 people after it faced a wall of opposition from small business owners who said they couldn’t cope with the cost of complying with all of South Africa’s red tape. However, DA labour spokesperson Michael Bagraim said this wasn’t sufficient to stop the amended law’s deleterious impacts on the economy, which is forecast to grow at just over 1% this year and continues to experience job shedding. Bagraim, an experienced labour lawyer, said small business owners would keep their employee numbers below 50 to avoid the new laws, which also give Meth the power to impose a fine of 10% of turnover for not meeting the target. The draft law allows 30 days for comment before the labour minister can gazette and implement a numerical sectoral target. The final nail in the GNU coffin? In four policy-related cases in a season of high lawfare, the DA is in court against the ANC, its senior partner in the GNU. President Cyril Ramaphosa, the ANC chief whip, Mdumiseni Ntuli, and the party’s caucus are incensed at the DA over this latest case against the Employment Equity Amendment Law. It was reported at the weekend that a caucus majority wants the ANC to divorce the DA. “We are not in the GNU to please the ANC or anyone else,” said Zille. She said the party would be where it could make the most significant impact (meaning either in government or opposition). On the VAT victory, the Expropriation Act (against which the DA is also in court against the government) and Bela (the education law, which almost caused a political war between the parties), she said it was better to be inside than outside. “The only people we are trying to please are our current and future voters,” said Zille, adding that DA structures and procedures could, in time, decide the party would be better served outside the GNU. Writer’s Comment: A different perspective Employment equity has been the most successful part of the network of South Africa’s black economic empowerment (BEE) laws. Without this law, which has its roots in the Constitution’s redress and transformational clauses, South Africa would not have its now sizeable black middle class. This class has fuelled growth, shifted the country’s culture and ensured remittances to the black communities left behind by derisory statecraft. Depending on which definitions you use or surveys you consult, SA now has a broad black middle class of around 8.9 million people. It’s insufficient and should be more prominent to provide further hope for the future, but without the laws, the economy would not have changed in this essential and positive way. This social shift has fuelled growth and employment as those of us who were newly middle class bought homes, kitted them out, made different lives than our forebears and cared for those left behind by the policies of the apartheid state, which linger well into the years of freedom. The net positive is clear to see. Then came State Capture and its lost decade, and South Africa tracked backwards, ending the growth years and taking a hammer to employment. The reasons workplaces would not have changed without the leverage of employment equity law and regulation span from unconscious bias to inherited network privilege to the lingering nature of racial bias and racism that are still prevalent, let’s be frank. The DA case will come across as an attack on employment equity in general, but it is being fought on a clever tactical basis. It considers the provincial impacts and fights the employment equity amendments on the grounds that they violate section 76 of the Constitution. The case will be an interesting ventilation of questions of transformation, provincial power versus national, progress, and how far (or not) we have walked on the long road to freedom. It may also sound the death knell for the GNU, as it will expose diametrically opposed differences in the how of transformation between the ANC and DA. Zille disputes any notion of the success of employment equity — though she was an adherent in earlier days when working at UCT and as a younger politician. Now more critical, she said, “What’s created a black middle class is state transformation (through black employment by the state). What we’ve built is a middle class through state preference, but it has not led to a [more] capable state. Don’t for one minute think State Capture is different.” Zille said cadre deployment, the ANC system of placing supporters in key positions in the state, was legitimised using employment equity laws. DM The post Quotas vs transformation — DA’s legal attack on employment equity law splits the GNU appeared first on The Namibian.

#EmploymentEquity #Transformation #SouthAfrica #HelenZille #ANC

702

@radio702.bsky.social

11 months ago

Zille on DA's employment equity court challenge: 'Unconstitutional, unfair' The legislation seeks to address workplace discrimination and boost economic participation among historically marginalised groups.

#DA federal chairperson #HelenZille argues the law won’t ensure inclusivity in the workforce but would rather increase unemployment.

CapeTalk

@capetalk.bsky.social

11 months ago

Zille on DA's employment equity court challenge: 'Unconstitutional, unfair' The legislation seeks to address workplace discrimination and boost economic participation among historically marginalised groups.

#DA federal chairperson #HelenZille argues the law won’t ensure inclusivity in the workforce but would rather increase unemployment.