The ANC has named three potential Johannesburg mayoral candidates ahead of the November 4 local government elections.
Veteran Frank Chikane, incumbent Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero and Deputy Mayor Loyiso Masuku are among those being considered for the party’s mayoral nomination.
ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula announced the names on Saturday at the Sandton International Convention Centre.
Mbalula said one of the three would eventually be selected as the ANC’s official candidate for the Johannesburg mayoral race. The announcement formed part of the party’s unveiling of potential mayoral candidates for eight metropolitan municipalities and 44 district municipalities. The ANC is expected to confirm its final mayoral candidates in September.
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The Johannesburg contest is expected to attract significant attention as several political parties prepare to challenge for control of the country’s economic hub. Chikane has been widely reported as a frontrunner, although Mbalula rejected reports that the veteran had withdrawn from consideration. The ANC secretary general described those reports as untrue.
ANC Johannesburg Mayoral Candidate Announcement Set For September
The ANC Johannesburg mayoral candidates will remain provisional until the party concludes its selection process. Mbalula said the ANC would announce its official candidates in September. He also said all potential candidates had undergone an interview process.
“See more than one name, including that lie that Chikane withdrew. You will be here. You should be here,” Mbalula said.
Mbalula said the ANC had confidence in the process used to select its Johannesburg mayoral candidate. He added that the party had raised the standards for people seeking mayoral positions.
According to Mbalula, the process was intended to ensure candidates met the requirements expected of those who would lead municipalities.
“We are very confident in the process and we are very much confident that we have upped the ante in terms of the candidates, particularly mayoral candidates,” he said.
Johannesburg Mayoral Race Draws Major Political Rivals
The Johannesburg mayoral race is expected to be closely contested, with several opposition parties having already identified candidates. The Democratic Alliance has named Helen Zille, while ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba is also in the contest.
Other candidates include EFF candidate Tlaleng Mofokeng, Patriotic Alliance candidate Kenny Kunene, IFP candidate Mlungisi Mabaso, Rise Mzansi’s Lukhona Mnguni and Build One South Africa’s Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster.
The ANC Johannesburg mayoral candidates will face a city dealing with a range of service delivery and infrastructure problems if the party wins control of the metro.
These include electricity and water outages, potholes, water losses, poor sanitation and non-functioning traffic and street lights. The city is also grappling with crime, corruption, hijacked buildings and the expansion of informal settlements.
The ANC has faced continued criticism over governance and administration in municipalities. The party is under pressure to improve its performance as it prepares for the local government elections. The eventual Johannesburg candidate will therefore enter one of the most closely watched municipal contests in the country.
Fikile Mbalula Says ANC Has Raised Mayoral Candidate Standards
Mbalula said the ANC’s approach to selecting mayors had changed from previous elections. He said candidates were now expected to possess specific qualities and an educational foundation before being considered for mayoral office.
The ANC secretary general said the potential candidates had all been subjected to an interview process.
“In the past, what used to happen is that you would have a candidate after the election, and whether that candidate is qualified or not, you would then get that person to become the mayor.”
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“Now we are fixated. A mayor must have certain qualities and must also have education as a base in terms of a mayoral candidate,” he added.
The Johannesburg mayoral candidate ultimately selected by the ANC will be confirmed in September. Until then, Chikane, Morero and Masuku remain potential candidates rather than the party’s final nominee. The November 4 election will determine the political makeup of Johannesburg and other municipalities across South Africa.
