Is Chikane in or out? Expert says Dada Morero could emerge as the ANC's final choice.
Frank Chikane. Picture: Jacques Nelles
Frank Chikane’s exclusion from the ANC’s Joburg mayoral candidacy could have negative implications for the party, with less than three months until the local government elections.
This week, ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula told the media that Chikane has not made it onto the councillor candidate lists submitted to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC). He said this was due to an administrative “error”.
The Citizen recently reported that Chikane was not interested in taking up the mayoral candidacy for his party. Sources have also told the paper that senior party leaders had even begged him to attend a ceremony in Sandton where the party announced its mayoral candidates.
Chikane is considered a frontrunner for the mayorship of Johannesburg, alongside current mayor Dada Morero and his deputy, Loyiso Masuku.
Consequences for the ANC
Political analyst Theo Neethling told The Citizen that removing Chikane as a mayoral candidate could boost Morero’s chances of becoming the face of the ANC’s campaign in Johannesburg.
“The potential loss of Chikane could hold greater significance for the ANC than merely altering the identity of its mayoral candidate.
“Chikane was viewed by many in the party as a potentially unifying individual who could bridge the conflict between Morero and Masuku, showcasing the ANC as a source of political rejuvenation in Johannesburg.
“Should Chikane become unavailable, Morero might emerge as the leading internal candidate by default,” said Neethling.
Dada Morero’s candidacy
Neethling said such a decision could complicate the ANC’s efforts to persuade Johannesburg voters that it offers a true departure from the city’s problematic recent history.
“In this regard, Morero’s possible candidacy highlights the ANC’s larger challenge in Johannesburg: the party requires continuity and experience while also needing genuine political renewal.
“Selecting an incumbent mayor benefits the former, but may come at a cost to the latter,” he said.
According to Neethling, Morero might be a strong candidate for the ANC nomination, but the crucial issue is whether he can convince voters that he can offer a credible new direction for Johannesburg.
Neethling’s comments come shortly after Morero insulted a resident during a public meeting in Tshepisong. The resident had called him a criminal. Morero and the party later apologised.
“Should Frank Chikane be ultimately left out of the ANC’s mayoral race in Johannesburg, Dada Morero’s chances as a possible ANC mayoral candidate are likely to improve, although this shouldn’t automatically be seen as proof that he is the party’s best electoral choice.”
‘We need a runner’
In a recent episode of The Citizen‘s The Movement elections podcast, ANC Youth League president Collen Malatji said the league supports Loyiso Masuku as the mayoral candidate. Malatji said Chikane has had his turn leading in different government roles.
“I do not think we must put the old man (Chikane) in the mud of politics now. He really has to be our advisor. He must guide us from afar. He has got the credibility to do that. He leads the integrity committee of the ANC. He is a man that we respect very much.
“We need a runner here, we need a young woman who can run around the streets of Orange Farm, Soweto, everywhere else,” he said.
Malatji said he believes Dada Morero should be deployed elsewhere after the elections.
“We believe he can grow into bigger responsibilities in the provincial government or national government – given that opportunity for him to lead,” he said.
