Diepsloot's clean street has Mzansi debating who gets the credit
A TikTok of a cleaned-up Diepsloot street, credited by its caption to DA mayoral candidate Helen Zille, has passed 320,000 views while Joburg's votes are still being counted.
A short TikTok filmed in Diepsloot, north of Johannesburg, has South Africans arguing about who deserves credit for a cleaner street. The 19-second clip, posted by @newsnexussa on 6 November 2026, pans across a dirt roadside where rubbish has been raked into piles, with a caption saying residents believe DA mayoral candidate Helen "Gogo" Zille has "already started working" in the township. It has passed 320,000 views and drawn more than 1,100 comments.
The clip itself doesn't show who did the cleaning, and Reported couldn't confirm that the DA or the City of Johannesburg organised it. The caption's claim comes from the account, not from any official statement.
The timing is what got people talking. Votes are still being finalised, and with about 93% counted Johannesburg was heading for a hung council, with the DA projected at 97 of 270 seats, well short of the 136 needed for a majority. No new mayor can be elected until the IEC declares the results and the new council sits, so the DA isn't running the city yet.
What the comments are saying
@kamuduclass_official:
"Problem is next month that spot will be full of rubbish again. I think we also need to learn to look after ourselves like just being clean and tidy surely we don’t need government to do that for us. I’m saying it’s a mentality thing." (4,090 likes)
@fiftyone49:
"But DA is not running Joburg as yet?😳😳" (1,050 likes)
@malooks140:
"People get excited over bare minimum. 😂" (1,022 likes)
@biancavelis:
"She cleans, next week it looks the same - unfortunately as South Africans we also need to realise that we need to clean up after ourselves." (750 likes)
@vincent.ngwenya92:
"People don’t wanna lose their jobs magogo akadlali 🤞🏾" (606 likes)
@hoimash69:
"DA will have to prove itself otherwise it will go out like ANC" (171 likes)
@mellucy_sambane:
"While Cape Town is dirty" (164 likes)
@mashpaul86:
"next week she will cut electrity for non payment" (154 likes)
@alpharoyce_:
"Give it a few months… Don’t celebrate yet." (20 likes)
Video and image: @newsnexussa on TikTok.