Joburg ANC mayoral process faces scrutiny amid claims of flawed nomination process

The ANC’s Johannesburg mayoral selection process has come under renewed scrutiny amid claims that internal nomination procedures were not consistently followed across Gauteng’s metro regions, raising questions about compliance with party guidelines and the authority of regional structures in finalising candidates. In Johannesburg, the regional executive committee (REC) is understood to have identified regional chairperson Loyiso Masuku as its preferred candidate for the City of Johannesburg’s mayoral position, party insiders familiar with the process say. However, the outcome has drawn broader internal debate in the ANC after allegations that the nomination process did not unfold uniformly across all structures. In some instances, decision-making might have shifted away from REC-level deliberations. The Mail & Guardian understands that the process was guided by instructions from the party’s secretary-general, who directed that regional executive committees must submit three names for consideration, with at least 50% of nominees required to be women, in line with internal gender parity guidelines. Insiders said that while the instruction had been in place for some time, its implementation varied across Gauteng metros, with disputes emerging over whether proper procedures were followed in concluding final submissions to Luthuli House. A senior ANC source said the established practice has been that REC meetings received nominations, deliberated on a wider pool of candidates and then voted to reduce the list to three names. The names were then processed through provincial oversight structures before submission to the national leadership. The source said the provincial task team (PTT), which was meant to oversee compliance with procedure, was in some cases not fully present throughout the process, raising concerns about the consistency of oversight. “The PTT is supposed to oversee the process, provide the ballot papers and ensure that the three highest-scoring candidates