Jobs take centre stage
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has put the city’s employment record at the centre of his pitch for another term in office.
Delivering his final council address of the current term on Thursday, Hill-Lewis said more than 418,000 jobs had been created in Cape Town over the past five years.
He claimed the figure represented almost half of all new jobs created across South Africa’s metropolitan municipalities during the period.
Hill-Lewis is seeking another term as mayor in the local government elections on 4 November 2026. He was confirmed as the DA’s mayoral candidate in June.
City points to infrastructure gains
The mayor also used the address to defend Cape Town’s investment in basic services and infrastructure.
Water and sanitation featured prominently in his assessment of the administration’s performance.
Hill-Lewis said Cape Town recorded more than 300 pump station failures during the first year of his term. That number had fallen to 102 in the latest year.
The City has continued investing heavily in infrastructure, with its revised 2026/27 budget maintaining major capital projects despite changes required after a High Court ruling earlier this year.
DA seeks another mandate
Hill-Lewis also highlighted affordable housing, expanded municipal policing and efforts to reduce Cape Town’s reliance on Eskom.
His broader campaign for re-election has identified crime, jobs, housing and improved services across poorer communities as priorities for a possible second term.
The mayor ended his council address by asking residents to give the DA another mandate to govern Cape Town.
ANC challenges City’s record
The ANC said voters should judge the administration by conditions in their neighbourhoods rather than headline statistics.
ANC caucus spokesperson Judy-Ann Stevens said residents should consider whether they have reliable water and electricity, decent housing, working infrastructure, safer communities and meaningful economic opportunities.
She acknowledged progress but warned against letting political messaging overshadow unresolved challenges.
The competing assessments are likely to feature prominently in the election campaign as the DA tries to retain control of Cape Town and opposition parties seek to challenge its record.