The African National Congress has named Reverend Frank Chikane, incumbent Mayor Dada Morero, and deputy mayor Loyiso Masuku as finalists for its Johannesburg mayoral candidacy ahead of the November 4 local government elections, dismissing reports of Chikane withdrawing.
The African National Congress has officially unveiled its shortlist of potential mayoral candidates for Johannesburg, setting up a high-stakes internal contest as the party prepares for the upcoming local government elections on November 4. ANC secretary general Fikile Mbalula made the announcement on Saturday at the Sandton International Convention Centre, where the party unveiled its potential mayoral candidates for eight metropolitan municipalities and 44 district municipalities.
Johannesburg Finalists and the Chikane Withdrawal Rumor
Party leaders announced at the Sandton International Convention Centre that Reverend Frank Chikane, who heads the party’s Integrity Commission and has been outspoken against corruption in government, is joined on the shortlist by current Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero and deputy mayor Loyiso Masuku. The Greater Johannesburg Region nominated Chikane as one of three candidates recommended to the party’s top structures. The name of former deputy minister of finance Jabu Moleketi had also come up. Some believe the 75-year-old Chikane would have been the right candidate to go against the DA’s Helen Zille, who is also the same age and is also politically seasoned, with a clean record.
Ahead of the announcement, conflicting accounts emerged regarding Chikane’s status. While multiple sources told The Citizen that Chikane’s family advised him not to continue with the process because they are concerned about his health, safety and the general state of the city, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula forcefully rejected those claims, dismissing reports that Chikane had withdrawn from the race as a lie.
“See more than one name, including that lie that Chikane withdrew. You will be here. You should be here,”
Fikile Mbalula, ANC secretary-general
Candidate Vetting and Raised Standards
Party leadership emphasized that all finalists underwent rigorous vetting before reaching the shortlist. ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa said that all finalists underwent an extensive vetting process and that candidates were subjected to scrutiny beyond their popularity beyond party structures, including leadership ability, integrity, experience and understanding of local government.
“Candidates were subjected to scrutiny beyond their popularity beyond party structures. Leadership ability, integrity, experience and understanding of local government,”
Cyril Ramaphosa, ANC President
Mbalula added that the candidate selection process introduced stricter baseline requirements for anyone seeking municipal leadership, noting that the party had raised the standards for those seeking the positions after facing longstanding criticism over poor governance and administration.
“Now we are fixated. A mayor must have certain qualities and must also have education as a base in terms of a mayoral candidate,”
Fikile Mbalula, ANC secretary-general
Mbalula clarified that Saturday’s announcement was of potential mayoral candidates, rather than the ANC’s final candidates, and said the party would announce its official mayoral candidates in September. This marks a shift from past practices where a candidate was chosen after the election regardless of whether they were qualified.
Internal Party Dynamics and Factional Support
The race has drawn distinct lines within party structures. Chikane enters the contest with backing from senior party members, including the former minister of international relations and cooperation Naledi Pandor, owing to his clean track record and his outspokenness on clean governance and corruption. Meanwhile, another source said that Morero and Masuku both went through the interview stages in the party’s selection process ahead of the mayoral candidate announcement, noting that the national officials had a tough time on this one because even on Thursday it still was not clear who will become the mayoral candidate as they have been in and out of meetings.
At the same time, regional politics have exposed clear divisions. The African National Congress Youth League has thrown its support behind Loyiso Masuku, saying Masuku is young and should become the party’s mayoral candidate, since she is already the chairperson of the party in Johannesburg. Conversely, those in favour of Morero as the party’s mayoral candidate told The Citizen that Masuku is not a well-known figure and lacks experience in leading a municipality the size of Johannesburg. Morero and Masuku are known political rivals inside the ANC and contested each other late last year for the position of regional chairperson at the party’s Greater Johannesburg elective conference.
The Crowded Metropolitan Electoral Field
Johannesburg is widely viewed as one of the most critical, closely watched and intensely contested local government battles in the country. The city continues to face major challenges, including poor service delivery, crime, corruption, electricity and water outages, potholes, hijacked buildings, the growth of informal settlements, non-functioning traffic and street lights, water losses and poor sanitation.
Whoever secures the ANC nomination will face a crowded field in Johannesburg, including DA candidate Helen Zille, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba, EFF candidate Tlaleng Mofokeng, Patriotic Alliance candidate Kenny Kunene, IFP candidate Mlungisi Mabaso, Rise Mzansi’s Lukhona Mnguni, Build One South Africa’s Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster, and others.
