Gayton McKenzie draws an early line over Helen Zille’s Joburg bid
· The South African
Patriotic Alliance (PA) leader Gayton McKenzie has drawn an early line in the sand over who his party could work with after the 4 November local government elections.
With less than three months until South Africans head to the polls, McKenzie has ruled out the PA working with the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Johannesburg.
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His comments came amid growing attention on the race for South Africa’s biggest city, where Helen Zille is the DA’s mayoral candidate.
It’s a ‘never ever’ from PA
McKenzie was unequivocal about the prospect of supporting her.
“Helen will never be Mayor of the City of Johannesburg. Helen is leading in polls and dreams only,” he said on X.
He also said the PA would “never ever” work with the DA.
Helen can’t work with, Helen can’t work with on repeat, do we even have a say. I can tell you today that @OnsBaizaNie will never ever work with the DA ever. Helen will never be Mayor of Joburg. Helen is leading in polls and dreams only. https://t.co/625d8fO0jc
— Gayton McKenzie (@GaytonMcK) August 13, 2026
Why McKenzie’s comments matter
It is still too early to know what Johannesburg’s council will look like after 4 November.
But recent polling suggests another coalition government is a real possibility.
A Social Research Foundation poll put the DA at 42% support in Johannesburg in June. That was up from 39% in March. The same poll placed the ANC at 18% and the MK Party at 13%.
Polls are a snapshot of voter sentiment and do not predict the final election result.
However, if no party wins more than 50% in November, parties will once again have to negotiate over who governs Johannesburg.
McKenzie is already signalling where the PA stands.
Zille also cool on PA deal
The feeling appears to be mutual as Zille has been highly critical of the PA and has previously indicated that working with McKenzie’s party would be difficult.
She recently compared the PA to the mafia and accused its members of being “broadly crooks”.
McKenzie has strongly hit back at her criticism.
Zille has, however, stopped short of ruling out every possible post-election arrangement.
She has said that if the DA does not reach 50%, it would consider its options in an effort to form a stable government.
Much could still change before voters cast their ballots.
Joburg’s coalition history
Johannesburg residents are no strangers to coalition politics.
The ANC lost its outright majority in the city in 2016. Since then, Johannesburg has experienced repeated changes of mayor and shifting political alliances.
The PA itself has previously played a role in those arrangements. It formed part of the coalition that helped elect the DA’s Mpho Phalatse as mayor after the 2021 elections.
The relationship later collapsed, with the PA switching its support and Phalatse ultimately losing the mayoral position.
The PA has also entered the 2026 race with its own candidate, Kenny Kunene.
Zille, meanwhile, is attempting to return the DA to power in Johannesburg, while ActionSA leader and former mayor Herman Mashaba is also campaigning for the city’s top job.