DA announces Hill-Lewis as Cape Town mayoral candidate for 2026 municipal polls

By Akani Nkuna

The Democratic Alliance (DA) on Saturday announced incumbent Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis as its mayoral candidate for the upcoming local government elections, backing him for a second term at the helm of South Africa’s second-largest metro.

Speaking at the party’s campaign launch in Hanover Park, Hill-Lewis outlined a five-point plan centred on stronger policing, job creation, affordable housing, reliable municipal services and cleaner public spaces.

He said the city had made significant progress during his first term but warned against complacency.

“As much as we’ve done, there is always much more to do. We cannot be complacent, we must keep moving Cape Town forward,” Hill-Lewis told supporters.

The mayor acknowledged that rapid population growth in Cape Town had increased pressure on housing, transport and municipal services, saying the city needed “bold, practical action” to meet rising demand.

He pledged to intensify efforts to improve living conditions for residents living in poverty and said the DA would continue spending public funds “efficiently and effectively” while keeping municipal property rates among the lowest in the country.

On crime, Hill-Lewis said Cape Town could no longer rely solely on the South African Police Service (SAPS) to keep communities safe.

“We know the truth: SAPS is failing too many communities. It is under-resourced, badly led and, in many places, corrupt officers are in corrupt relationships with gangs,” he said.

He announced plans to establish a Metro Police Detective Unit and continue lobbying for greater policing powers for the city.

“The only way we will live without fear is if we build our own policing capacity,” he said.

Hill-Lewis also highlighted Cape Town’s economic performance, claiming the city had created 480,000 jobs over the past four-and-a-half years, more than any other metro in South Africa.

He said a second-term DA administration