The ANC in the City of Johannesburg has confirmed that it has submitted a list of mayoral candidate nominations to Luthuli House.
The party’s regional secretary, Sasabona Manganye, told The Citizen that the region had concluded its process and that the party’s national office is now managing it.
Manganye refused to comment on who the region had nominated.
According to the Mail & Guardian, the Regional Executive Committee (REC) has recommended Loyiso Masuku as the party’s first choice for mayoral candidate, but activist Nhlanhla Lux, ANC veteran Reverend Frank Chikane, businesswoman Chichi Maponya, and former MP Jabu Moleketi have also been recommended for consideration.
A senior ANC insider told The Citizen that other party leaders who were considered include the Minister of Human Settlements, Mamoloko Kubayi, Trade & Industry Minister, Parks Tau and businessman and veteran Tokyo Sexwale.
However, Chikane has slammed the rumours as just speculation.
“I do not talk about things that are in the media without a source. You will not get anything from me. I do not comment on that. If it is official, I would tell you, but I do not make comments about speculation,” he said.
The other proposed candidates have also not confirmed their nomination.
ANC tradition has always favoured the party’s regional chairperson becoming the mayoral candidate.
No interviews yet
The Citizen understands that the ANC has not begun the interview processes for the mayoral candidates, but insiders say this process should be finalised at the end of June.
While current Joburg mayor Dada Morero has not reportedly been included on the nomination list, some ANC insiders believe that he could still make it to the interview processes.
Morero has also been chosen to form part of the Gauteng Provincial Task Team (PTT) – this gives him some influence in the provincial structures of the ANC.
Another ANC insider believes that Morero could be parachuted to the national government after the local government elections.
But does it even matter?
Political analyst Ntsikelelo Breakfast from Nelson Mandela University, told The Citizen that it will take more than a credible mayoral candidate to ensure that the ANC wins back its lost support in the City of Johannesburg.
“People are not stupid. They do not vote for the person, they vote for the party. That person will contest under the banner of the ANC, that is the problem,” he said.
Breakfast said the ANC brand has taken a huge knock over the years and regaining public confidence in this party could be difficult.
“The brand has been affected by institutionalised corruption, which is the problem,” he said.
According to Breakfast, the ANC has been relying on its past victories as a liberation party to get votes instead of building a good service delivery track record in government.
He said he would not be surprised if Morero’s name was left out of the list of nominees.
“I think they have a reason for that. It could be that they acknowledge that he did not do what he should have done, which is to accelerate service delivery.”
Breakfast said it is important for anyone who emerges as the mayor of Johannesburg to have a good team of municipal officials to help him implement policy.
Looking outside the party?
In April, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula told the media that the party would also widen its net when looking for “the best of the best”.
“We are not confining ourselves to elected leadership… If the people say, among those interviewed, this is the person we believe can be mayor, that will be it,” Mbalula said.
The City of Johannesburg is particularly hotly contested, with the DA putting up Helen Zille as their mayoral candidate, ActionSA choosing Herman Mashaba, and the PA selecting Kenny Kunene.