Tshwane ANC’s hold on mayoral candidate lists could be a result of internal conflicts – analyst

Tshwane mayoral candidate for the ANC in the forthcoming local elections – like in other metropolitans – still awaits to be announced by the party which has decided to put a hold on making the list public.

This stance could possibly be prompted by internal conflicts within the party, according to political analyst Ralph Mathekga.

On August 24, Tshwane ANC members picketed outside the Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC)’s office, a day after the closure of submission date for candidate lists for the municipal elections.

ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte said the members were disgruntled that their preferred candidates did not make it to the party’s list submitted to the IEC.

Meanwhile, a week before that, an ANC member in ward 15, Nellmapius, was shot and killed after finalising a candidate list in a branch meeting.

Mathekga said although announcing mayoral candidates before elections might be seen as an effort of strengthening democracy, it did not necessarily disadvantage parties that choose to do things differently.

“It is a tradition in the local government elections to have the mayors announced before elections to lift the campaign,” he said.

“It also helps voters know who they will be voting for. It helps give them the information they need when they are going to vote.”

With the party faced with the prospect of not contesting about 35 municipalities and 93 wards in the October 27 local government election, Mathekga said the ANC did not prepare the country to have elections during the Covid-19 outbreak and were banking on the postponement.

“The names (mayoral candidates) are not out yet because there are internal issues around the names within the ANC.”

Tshwane ANC chairperson Kgoši Maepa said the selection and announcement of the mayoral candidates would be done by the party’s national executive committee.

“This will likely be announced before elections but at this stage, we do not know when they will be announced.”

ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe announced on Friday that the ANC would hold a series of special NEC meetings followed by a lekgotla from Saturday until Monday, to focus on the local government elections. “The party will also consider its financial and administrative matters.”

The EFF has also not selected a mayoral candidate. Chairperson Obakeng Ramabodu said that the party would choose a candidate after elections.

While EFF and ANC have not yet announced mayoral candidates other political parties such as the DA, Freedom Front Plus and ActionSA have pronounced their preferred candidates.

The DA selected the current mayor Randall Williams to stand for the party again in Tshwane in the next elections.

The Freedom Front Plus candidate has been named Grandi Theunissen.

Former utility services MMC under the DA, Abel Tau, was nominated as the ActionSA’s mayoral candidate for the city.