AS PART OF her campaign to become mayor of Johannesburg, Helen Zille has snorkelled(浮潜) in a water-filled pothole(坑洞). She has directed cars when power cuts turned off traffic lights. She has paddled down a flooded street. The candidate from the Democratic Alliance (DA), South Africa’s second-biggest party, has taken an old BMW “spinning”(开着旧宝马“漂移”), a popular pursuit in the city’s black townships(黑人城镇). The 75-year-old grandmother has stepped up to a turntable(唱盘；打碟台) (pictured) and been dubbed “DJ Gogo(“DJ奶奶”绰号)”.
作为竞选约翰内斯堡市长活动的一部分，海伦·齐勒曾在一个灌满水的坑洞里浮潜。她曾在停电导致红绿灯熄灭时指挥车辆通行。她还曾划船穿过被水淹没的街道。这位南非第二大党民主联盟（DA）的候选人，还曾开着旧宝马在街上“漂移”——这是该市黑人城镇的一项流行活动。这位75岁的祖母还走上打碟台（见图），被称为“DJ奶奶”。
These were stunts(作秀；噱头) with a purpose. Ahead of local elections on November 4th Ms Zille wants to highlight the decay of the commercial capital under a coalition led by the African National Congress (ANC). Polls suggest the once hegemonic(霸权的；支配性的) party will have its worst showing(最差表现) in a nationwide election since the end of white rule in 1994(1994年白人统治结束). Meanwhile Ms Zille could soon be the first white mayor of post-apartheid Johannesburg(种族隔离后的约翰内斯堡). Such a result would underline the decline of the party of Nelson Mandela—and perhaps point to the beginnings of a less racialised politics.(这样的结果将凸显纳尔逊·曼德拉所属政党的衰落——或许还预示着一种种族色彩更淡的政治的开端。)
这些作秀都有明确目的。在11月4日地方选举之前，齐勒想凸显这座商业首都在非洲人国民大会（ANC）领导的联合政府治下的衰败。民调显示，这个曾经占据霸权地位的政党将迎来1994年白人统治结束以来全国选举中的最差表现。与此同时，齐勒可能很快成为种族隔离结束后的约翰内斯堡首位白人市长。这样的结果将凸显纳尔逊·曼德拉所属政党的衰落——或许还预示着一种种族色彩更淡的政治的开端。
The ANC has been losing support for 20 years. But it is heading for a new low(走向新低). An average of opinion polls in the past six months has the ANC at 32%, the DA at 27%. Five years ago the ANC won 46% to the DA’s 22%. The DA’s own polling(民调) reckons(认为；估计) it could become the largest party in most of South Africa’s eight largest cities.
非洲人国民大会失去支持已有20年。但它正走向新的低谷。过去六个月的民调平均显示，非国大支持率为32%，民主联盟为27%。五年前，非国大以46%对22%击败民主联盟。民主联盟自己的民调认为，它可能成为南非八大城市中大多数城市的第一大党。