SIBONGAKONKE SHOBA | ANC needs smart footwork to pick Joburg mayoral candidate

The ANC purports to be earnest about granting the residents a voice in deciding who becomes mayor in their cities and towns.

However, the process is onerous, and the complicated requirements render it virtually impossible for ordinary citizens to nominate a candidate of their choice.

Consider, for instance, a devoted Khosi supporter who concludes that Doctor Khumalo would make a far superior mayor than Dada Morero (at this stage, almost anyone would be an improvement). In theory, such a nomination should be straightforward.

In reality, unless Khumalo is your intimate associate, the hurdles are insurmountable. Of course, the esteemed Doctor now carries additional gravitas, having recently been conferred with a long-overdue honorary doctorate by TUT.

But if you reside in Alexandra and aspire to see the Khosi legend don the mayoral chain, you will encounter formidable obstacles navigating the ANC’s nomination portal.

To begin with, nominators must possess an exhaustive dossier of personal information: the candidate’s full legal names as they appear on their ID, residential address, home language, voter registration details, ward information, and ANC branch membership if applicable.

Furthermore, you must ascertain whether the candidate consents to vetting, provide their career background, and upload their CV.

The nominator must also disclose whether the candidate has ever faced criminal charges, appeared in reports by the Special Investigating Unit or the Public Protector, or been instructed to step aside by the ANC.

As if this were not enough, you are required to draft a 500-word motivation why your candidate should be selected, attach their manifesto for the city, and submit copies of their ID, qualifications, and CV. Good luck to anyone attempting to nominate their preferred leader. Public nominations close tonight.

The entire process is a charade. It functions most effectively for ‘ondikhetheni’ — those who wish to nominate themselves. ANC leaders in provinces and regions will advance their preferred names.

Traditional leaders through Contralesa, as well as alliance partners (excluding the SACP, of course), will also put forward candidates. Ultimately, ANC national officials will curate a shortlist and conduct interviews before pronouncing the final decision.

It is commendable, in principle, for the ANC to broaden the pool as it searches for new mayor candidates. The party is in sharp decline, particularly in urban metros. In Johannesburg, the mayoral contest has already reached fever pitch.

The DA’s candidate, Helen Zille, has enjoyed months of unchallenged campaigning, relentlessly exposing ANC governance failures.

While her record in black townships may prove a liability for the DA, her public-relations machinery is miles ahead of any ANC contender. ActionSA’s Herman Mashaba has also entered the fray, though his campaign remains lacklustre.

His desperate attempt to align his party with vigilante groups terrorising African immigrants has so far not yielded the intended outcome, and his tenure as Johannesburg’s mayor is hardly a triumph worth celebrating.

The Patriotic Alliance has nominated Kenny Kunene, an ex-convict turned flamboyant Skhothane who now seeks political legitimacy. The IFP, meanwhile, has announced Mlungisi Mabaso, Johannesburg’s current MMC for human settlements, as its candidate.

Expect Mabaso to leverage his portfolio to bolster his campaign ahead of November 4. These are the formidable opponents any ANC candidate will have to confront.

The ANC does possess capable leaders. Suggestions have surfaced that the party might recycle Parks Tau, the former mayor of Johannesburg and current minister of trade and industry.

Tau would be an excellent choice, but he arguably deserves to ascend further within national government rather than being redeployed locally. The current mayor stands little chance of returning if the ANC regional executive committee has its way.

Regional chair Loyiso Masuku is unlikely to secure endorsement from Luthuli House, which appears intent on fielding a heavyweight to challenge Zille and company.

Johannesburg may well be the one arena where public sentiment could sway the ANC to consider a non-ANC figure as a candidate. But the process that you need to follow may be the hurdle too high for many Joburgers who have their preferences.