Geordin Hill-Lewis, the Democratic Alliance leader, was officially announced as the party's mayoral candidate for Cape Town on Saturday at a launch event in Hanover Park.

Hill-Lewis, who's been Cape Town's mayor since 2021, delivered a speech thanking residents and outlining pledges for the next five years. He said the city has become a "torch lighting the way across South Africa."

"Four and a half years ago, we set out with a simple mission. To be the City of Hope. For all," Hill-Lewis told the crowd. He spoke in English, Afrikaans, and isiXhosa, thanking residents for "the love" — "dankie vir die liefde. Enkosi ngothando."

The mayor highlighted achievements under his leadership: fixed swimming pools in Mitchells Plain, Langa, Gugulethu, and Bellville; rebuilt sports fields in Manenberg, Mandela Park, Atlantis, and Bishop Lavis; and home ownership schemes in Bonteheuwel. He also mentioned a young woman named Deidre who called a radio station to say she got her first job.

But Hill-Lewis acknowledged the city is "by no means perfect" and promised more work. His pledges for the next five years include stronger policing — "We refuse to accept that crime is just part of life" — improving public transport, and expanding housing delivery. He cited a mother in Delft who hugged him after getting a flush toilet for the first time.

The launch comes as Cape Town prepares for local government elections expected in 2026. Hill-Lewis first became mayor after the DA won the city with 58% of the vote in 2021, unseating the African National Congress. The DA has run Cape Town since 2006, and Hill-Lewis is seeking a second term.

Hanover Park, where the event was held, is a gang-violence hotspot on the Cape Flats. Hill-Lewis said Metro Police and neighbourhood watches are making areas like Gugulethu safer "street by street."

"When I see thousands of children playing happily in all the swimming pools we have fixed in places like Mitchells Plain, or Langa, or Gugs, or Bellville my heart is full of joy," he said.

The mayor also promoted the MyCiTi bus service, saying he boarded a bus in Mitchells Plain Town Centre that morning as proof of improved public transport.

Hill-Lewis faces challenges including a struggling economy, high unemployment, and persistent gang violence. The DA's national support has dipped in recent polls, but the party remains dominant in Cape Town.

"We can go forwards. No matter how tough our problems, we can solve them, step by step in the right direction," Hill-Lewis said.

  • Hill-Lewis has been Cape Town mayor since 2021.
  • The DA has governed the city since 2006.
  • He highlighted fixed swimming pools in Mitchells Plain, Langa, Gugulethu, and Bellville.
  • Rebuilt sports fields in Manenberg, Mandela Park, Atlantis, and Bishop Lavis.
  • Pledges include stronger policing, better transport, and home ownership.

Local government elections are expected later in 2026. Hill-Lewis's campaign will test whether the DA can hold its strongest urban base amid national political shifts.