[Watch] Helen Zille rows in dirty drainwater – City hurries to fix it!
'Gogo effect': Helen traded potholes for pedalling in dirty drainwater, which was quickly cleaned by city officials...
![[Watch] Helen Zille rows in dirty drainwater – City hurries to fix it!](https://www.thesouthafrican.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Helen-Zille-rows-an-inflatable-boat-in-a-flooded-road-in-Dobsonville-Soweto.jpg.optimal.jpg?#)
Weeks after swimming and snorkelling in a pothole, Helen Zille has taken up a new extreme watersport – pedalling in dirty drainwater.
The Johannesburg mayoral candidate has posted another amusing video of her campaign trail on her social media platforms.
HELEN ZILLE ROWS INFLATABLE BOAT IN DIRTY DRAINWATER
On her social media platforms, Helen Zille posted a clip of her pedalling an inflatable boat down a road in Dobsonville, Soweto, that had filled with water from a blocked drain.
In the clip, the 75-year-old rowed the inflatable past a group of stunned spectators.
“Molweni”, she casually greeted.
Helen chatted to locals, who revealed that the drain had been blocked for the past 6 years. The drain had led to the road being permanently flooded with dirty water, posing sanitation and safety hazards.
“You know what to do at elections if you want this place fixed”, she told one woman.
In the video caption, Helen Zille claimed that the City of Johannesburg had spent only 26% of its capital budget. The mayoral candidate alleged that the funds – meant to be invested in projects like stormwater infrastructure – were “either stolen or mismanaged.
Surprisingly – or not – Helen revealed that city officials had been dispatched to drain the water after she visited the location.
“The Gogo effect”, she captioned the clip.
POTHOLE PR STUNT WAS ‘UNPLANNED’
Meanwhile, Helen Zille has claimed her pothole pool party – which made international headlines – took place on the spur of the moment.
The former DA leader went viral after she swam and snorkelled in a pothole in Douglasdale.
The three-year pothole was caused by a leaking pipe and damaged roads.
Helen’s shock actions prompted the city mayor, Dada Morero, and Rand Water to visit the site. Repair work has since begun.
Helen claimed local residents invited her to the site of the pothole, who had staged a “pool party”.
Images via Facebook
She told the Sowetan: “I didn’t even know about the pothole at the time. Earlier that day, I got a message from people who have been dealing with this huge pothole for three years.
“They’d tried again and again to get it fixed, but nothing had happened. They asked if I could come and take a look at it.”
She continued: “I said ‘yes’. When I got there, there were people standing around, and I said, ‘Whoa, this pothole is big enough to swim in.’ One of the residents then said, ‘Well, I’ve got a wetsuit. Do you want to swim?’ And I said, “Sure.”
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