In a shock move, the ANC has dropped their incumbent councillor, Rodgers Makhubele of Diepsloot’s Ward 95, and replaced him with little-known candidate Matlale Mphahlele.
This comes barely a month after the all-powerful Makhubele confirmed to Fourways Review that he would be representing the ANC in Diepsloot in the coming 3 August elections. The ANC instead supplied Mpahlele’s name to the Independent Electoral Commission instead of Makhumbele, leaving his supporters seething.
“This new candidate does not even stay in Diepsloot. She is even not known here and people are angry about this imposition,” said one supporter who declined to be identified.
Makhubele confirmed to this paper that he was no longer a candidate but declined to shed light over his ‘redeployment’.
ANC’s Johannesburg regional secretary, Dada Morero said Makhubele was replaced after he scored lower marks than Mphahlele. “Candidates are chosen through a process which includes scoring of marks, and once that process is done, a candidate with the highest marks will represent the party,” said Morero.
He denied claims that the party’s preferred candidate was not a resident of the ward. “The information we have, indicate that she stays in Ward 95 and such rumours are being peddled by people who lost to her,” said Morero.
When Fourways Review contacted the ANC’s Johannesburg regional offices, no one seemed to know who Mphahlele was, and even Morero could not supply us with contact details of the candidate.
A fellow ANC Johannesburg North candidate who requested anonymity confessed ignorance over the identity of Mphahlele. “I don’t know her,” said the ANC candidate when requested to supply Mphahlele’s contact details.
Mphahlele will slug it out with the DA’s high-profile candidate Refilwe Mathebula for Ward 95.
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