The ANC’s Johannesburg mayoral selection process has come under renewed scrutiny amid claims that internal nomination procedures were not consistently followed across Gauteng’s metro regions, raising questions about compliance with party guidelines and the authority of regional structures in finalising candidates.
In Johannesburg, the regional executive committee (REC) is understood to have identified regional chairperson Loyiso Masuku as its preferred candidate for the City of Johannesburg’s mayoral position, party insiders familiar with the process say.
However, the outcome has drawn broader internal debate in the ANC after allegations that the nomination process did not unfold uniformly across all structures. In some instances, decision-making might have shifted away from REC-level deliberations.
The Mail & Guardian understands that the process was guided by instructions from the party’s secretary-general, who directed that regional executive committees must submit three names for consideration, with at least 50% of nominees required to be women, in line with internal gender parity guidelines.
Insiders said that while the instruction had been in place for some time, its implementation varied across Gauteng metros, with disputes emerging over whether proper procedures were followed in concluding final submissions to Luthuli House.
A senior ANC source said the established practice has been that REC meetings received nominations, deliberated on a wider pool of candidates and then voted to reduce the list to three names. The names were then processed through provincial oversight structures before submission to the national leadership.
The source said the provincial task team (PTT), which was meant to oversee compliance with procedure, was in some cases not fully present throughout the process, raising concerns about the consistency of oversight.
“The PTT is supposed to oversee the process, provide the ballot papers and ensure that the three highest-scoring candidates are selected through a proper vote,” the source said. “But in some instances that process did not happen as it should have.”
The disputes appear most pronounced in Johannesburg, where insiders say regional office bearers (ROB) were involved in finalising aspects of the submission, a move some in the party say might have gone beyond their mandate.
The source said the office bearers were instructed to assist in finalising additional names for submission, while the REC was responsible for identifying its leading candidate.
“On Loyiso, the decision was made by the REC,” the source said. “As for the other names, the ROBs were mandated to look around so that the REC would not simply sit and resolve the names among themselves.”
However, other party insiders dispute the extent of the delegation, arguing that the ANC constitution was clear that REC structures were the final decision-making authority at regional level, with working committees expected to make recommendations only.
“The constitution says the working committee makes recommendations to the REC and the REC takes decisions,” another source said. “What happened in Johannesburg is being questioned because that process appears to have been altered.”
The controversy comes amid wider inconsistencies reported across Gauteng’s metropolitan regions.
In Tshwane, party insiders say the nomination process largely followed established procedure — REC members voted on multiple candidates before arriving at a shortlist that complied with ranking and gender-balance requirements.
The M&G understands that in Tshwane, the process had to be started afresh after complaints were raised.
The publication understands that regional chair Bonzo Modise refused to stand as the party’s mayor.
In Ekurhuleni, M&G was also reliably informed that regional chair Nkosindiphile Xhakaza did not make it onto the list to Luthuli House.
Sources said Xhakaza was in a tie on votes as the third candidate and his name had to fall off the list.
“Jongizizwe [Dlabathi] was number one, then the caucus leader who is a female was number two, then the third person was also a female and they had the same votes as Xhakaza, so his name had to fall off,” the source said.
Another senior ANC leader in Johannesburg said the process in Johannesburg would probably be restarted because it was flawed.
“How those comrades did the process was wrong and it can be challenged. There’s just a feeling that people want to become mayor at all costs because they view this as the last train to be mayors.”
In Johannesburg, however, the process is under closer scrutiny. There are concerns that the final submission might not have fully reflected a completed REC vote in line with standard procedure.
The issue has been compounded by tension over certain candidates whose names were raised during internal discussions but ultimately not included in final submissions to Luthuli House.
Regional secretary Sasabona Manganyi declined to comment.
In recent months, the ANC has moved to centralise the selection of mayoral candidates for metropolitan municipalities and secondary cities, introducing a process that includes public nominations and final interviews conducted by the party’s top seven officials.
Under the system, at least three names are submitted for each mayoral position. Candidates are ranked and appointed in order of preference. If the first-choice candidate declines, the second or third-ranked option may be considered.
The party has said the reform was intended to broaden participation in candidate selection and improve leadership quality in municipalities facing governance and service delivery challenges.
It is expected that further engagements in provincial structures will take place to assess whether nomination processes in affected regions complied with ANC guidelines and whether any submissions might need to be revisited.
Party insiders say concerns over compliance with ANC guidelines could result in the process being challenged or restarted, while similar disputes have emerged in other Gauteng metro regions
