As Election Battle Heats Up, ANC Names Mayoral Candidate for Tshwane
Almost two days late, the African National Congress has named Thoko Didiza as its candidate for mayor of Tshwane, a metro that the party could quite possibly lose in the upcoming municipal election. On Monday morning there were also reports of a shooting outside the Tshwane Events Centre apparently related to dissatisfaction over the nomination of Didiza. Violence […]
Almost two days late, the African National Congress has named Thoko Didiza as its candidate for mayor of Tshwane, a metro that the party could quite possibly lose in the upcoming municipal election.
On Monday morning there were also reports of a shooting outside the Tshwane Events Centre apparently related to dissatisfaction over the nomination of Didiza. Violence has erupted in numerous ANC regions – KwaZulu-Natal, Mamelodi (Tshwane) and Khayelitsha (Cape Town) – over the nomination process of councillors and mayors.
While most other candidates were named late on Saturday – much later than the media was led to believe, showing possible dissension in the party over nominees – Tshwane was left undecided. The delay appeared to underscore the challenges the ANC is facing in certain metros where its ratings have been dropping.
The ANC’s main battlegrounds in the 3 August municipal election are Nelson Mandela Bay, Johannesburg and Tshwane, which includes Pretoria, where the Democratic Alliance or an alliance of the DA and other parties could take over the metros, according to a poll by Ipsos and eNCA last week.
On Sunday it was reported the Gauteng ANC leadesrhip could not agree on any of the three suggested candidates, so two compromise candidates were put forward. On Monday, Didiza was declared the winner to take over possibly from present mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa.
Didiza is an MP and sometime chairwoman in parliament, often known for her much more even-handed dealing with problems in the chamber than the speaker Baleka Mbete. She was also a minister of public works under former president Thabo Mbeki.
The mayoral candidates for the seven other metros are Parks Tau (Johannesburg), the only mayor to be renominated from the previous election for his post; Mzwandile Masina (Ekurhuleni); Danny Jordaan (Nelson Mandela Bay), who was appointed recently to take over the embattled municipality; Xola Pakati (Buffalo Bay); Zandile Gumede (eThekwini); Xolani Sotashe (Cape Town); and Olly Mlamleli (Mangaung).