Social media will be a key battlefield in the optics war for the future of Johannesburg, but it may not always reflect the experiences of those in the trenches. Commuters in Soweto provided a contrasting reaction to those in the city’s northern suburbs, following Helen Zille’s latest service delivery adventure. The DA’s mayoral candidate for Johannesburg was in Soweto earlier this week to highlight the issue of damaged infrastructure flooding the city’s streets.

Several videos posted on social media on Tuesday showed snippets of the river rafting shoot, each exposing the divide in perceptions throughout the city. However, as with the large hole where Zille went snorkelling in Douglasdale a few weeks ago, municipal crews were soon on site to address the problem. Highlighting municipal decay Zille’s campaign yesterday released a video of the 75-year-old “gogo” in an inflatable raft paddling up a flooded street in Soweto.

A common sight throughout the city, damaged pipes and blocked drains create pools of water that turn streets and sidewalks into inaccessible rivers. Zille’s campaign used the moment to highlight the city’s lack of investment in essential infrastructure. “In the 2025/26 financial year, the City of Joburg only spent 26% of their capital budget.

“That means money that was supposed to be invested in critical projects, such as stormwater infrastructure, was either stolen or mismanaged,” Zille’s team stated. In the 2025/26 financial year the City of Joburg only spent 26% of their capital budget. That means money that was supposed to be invested in critical projects, such as stormwater infrastructure, was either stolen or mismanaged.

You can change this by registering to vote for a… pic.twitter.com/l7yyme3GKo— Zille for Mayor (@HelenZille4Jozi) April 14, 2026 The mayoral candidate has drawn sharp debate over her highly visible campaign that featured her using broken, decaying infrastructure to poke fun at the current administration. While some have praised it as clever and vital to forcing service delivery, others have labelled it as cheap politicking. Zille has repeatedly been warned by Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero and his MMC’s that infrastructure should not be used as a campaign tool.

Taxi passengers unimpressed While crowds gathered to watch Zille wade through the dirty municipal water, a passenger in a passing taxi took out their phone to record the shoot in progress. Audio from the video captured some fellow passengers’ sentiments in the background, with many pointing out that the “gogo” was not rowing, but was being pulled by DA members. One of the passengers can be heard using the term ‘sgebengu’ to describe Zille, which, in this context, implies dishonesty.

Another passenger points out the man pulling the raft’s race, asking why they chose him for the labour. Oh I forgot, Lukhona. You are the "independent" analyst from @Rise_Mzansi .

Try harder.— Helen Zille (@helenzille) April 14, 2026 Zille responded to the reactions by highlighting the political affiliations of those posting the videos, stressing that the flooded street was quickly addressed by the municipality. DA member of parliament and constituency head Thamsanqa Mabhena posted a separate video showing people of different races pulling the raft, while accusing detractors of trying to “sow unnecessary hate and division deviously”. Zille’s campaign team was contacted for additional comment, and a response will be added once received.