I am so honoured to accept my party’s nomination to stand as Mayor of Johannesburg.

I stand ready to take up the tireless task of challenging for the leadership of the Metro, so that I can dedicate my every day in office to making Johannesburg work for our residents.

The City of Johannesburg deserves so much better. Under the current government, it is the capital of service delivery backlogs. Countless electrical outages, water shortages, and roads riddled with potholes – this is not how the economic hub of Africa is meant to function. And I cannot stand to see it go on.

I feel energized just thinking about hitting the ground in this campaign, day after day, to be at one with our residents, to hear them and to take forward their plight. In me, the people of Johannesburg have a champion, a friend and a committed servant. I’m wholeheartedly committed to building upon the DA’s record of good governance for the people of Johannesburg so that they can realize five full years of real change.

It is an opportunity to galvanize the whole of society, to reimagine and rebuild Johannesburg to a city of hope – alive with opportunity. We will clean up the administration, clean up the city, sweep out the rot, deliver services, grow the economy and make Johannesburg the City of Golden Opportunities.

I have stood to become Mayor of Johannesburg because I am built for endurance. I am not afraid of the challenge. I have overcome many hurdles before, both in my personal and professional life. Most importantly, I want to bring my 15 years of working experience in the public service sector, including more than three years of serving as the MMC for Health and Social Development in the City of Johannesburg, to the office of Mayor.

People of Johannesburg, and indeed South Africa, I begin this campaign with a deep appreciation for the reality of the City. Residents do not need meaningless dream-like rhetoric of making Johannesburg a ‘world-class African city’. You need reality, hard work, selfless commitment, vision – and we will start by getting basic service delivery back on track.

Wherever the DA governs, life gets better – it is a fact. DA governments get things done. This is possible in Johannesburg, after this Election. Together let us end the rot, end the decay, stop the decline, and get Jozi working.

I am ready, and so are all of you.