LGE 2026: Four mayoral candidates make their final pitches to restore Joburg - EWN

Johannesburg's four leading mayoral candidates have made their closing arguments to voters, with promises of renewal, better services and tougher governance, but sharply different visions for the city's future.

With local government elections just days away, the candidates used interviews on 702's Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa to make their cases for why residents should give them their vote.

Democratic Alliance (DA) candidate Helen Zille argued that Johannesburg could follow the example of better-run DA-governed cities, while African National Congress (ANC) incumbent Dada Morero defended his party's record and acknowledged the city's service delivery challenges.

ActionSA's Herman Mashaba said he had unfinished business after leaving the mayor's office in 2019, while Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) candidate Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng called for a radical change in how the city is governed.

The interviews also exposed potential complications in the coalition negotiations that could follow the election, particularly between the DA and ActionSA.