Joburg a poisoned chalice for Chikane

There is no doubting the struggle credentials nor the integrity of ANC veteran Reverend Frank Chikane.

He was such a threat to the old order Nat government that its undercover operatives tried to poison him on one occasion… and he later met those responsible and forgave them.

A respected figure, but is he the right fit?

However, a decent human being Chikane may be, we have our doubts about whether he would be cut out to be an ANC mayoral candidate for the City of Joburg, as some recent reports have it.

First, we cannot see him rolling up his sleeves to deal with the ANC-initiated mess right across most departments of the municipality.

There is so much sleaze there that, as a member of the ANC, it seems likely a fair chunk of that would stick to him, no matter how he tried to avoid it. And that would destroy his legacy.

Poisoned chalice

On the basis that he would recognise a poisoned chalice when he sees it, we don’t think he will accept the nomination. Also, he has been there before – and it wasn’t a pleasant experience.

Back in 1997, he was touted by some in the media as the next premier of the province which would shortly become Gauteng.

Unbeknownst to those expert analysts, however, an anti-Thabo Mbeki “palace coup” was under way at ANC provincial headquarters, resulting in Mathole Motshekga getting the premier nod.

Political signalling

It seems likely that the story about Chikane and the mayoral nomination may just have been some kite-flying by the organisation as a way of implying it can match the experience and the gravitas of the DA’s Helen Zille, who has been making all of the social media running in the race so far.

Chikane’s name also obscures the reality that the ANC has very few quality, untainted, candidates in its ranks to stand for any position.