Around 300 delegates gathered in the north of Johannesburg to elect their new leaders.
Loyiso Masuku has been elected regional chairperson of the ANC in Greater Johannesburg after a hotly contested race against the former chairperson, Dada Morero.
She received 184 votes to Morero’s 149.
Masuku’s election brings a breath of fresh air to the regional leadership of the ANC, and she now stands a chance of becoming the mayoral candidate for the ANC in next year’s local government elections.
- Masilo Serekele was elected Deputy Chairperson,
- Sasabona Manganye as Secretary,
- Lerato K Bob as Deputy Secretary, and
- Maxwell Nedzamba as Treasurer.
WATCH: Celebrations at Masuku’s election
What we know about Loyiso Masuku
Masuku began her activism in student politics; she has served in different structures of the ANC, including the ANCYL and the ANC Women’s League.
She is the wife of former Health MEC Bandile Masuku. The pair were involved in a controversial Covid-19 PPE scandal that has cast a cloud over them to this day.
Masuku was born in the Eastern Cape but has become an influential figure in Johannesburg’s regional politics.
She has held various roles in government, including in the City of Ekurhuleni and the Gauteng government under Premier Nomvula Mokonyane, and is currently the Finance MMC for the City of Johannesburg.
With her election, she could become the first female ANC mayor of Johannesburg.
Tough job ahead
Ahead of the conference, political analyst Andre Duvenhage said whoever was elected would have a chance to lead the ANC in Johannesburg into the local government elections.
“The ANC was once a dominant party, so finding the right leadership is critical for a declining party. So, at the moment, what we are seeing is that corruption is very rife there, all sorts of problems. So, it is important for them to select the right leaders because even surveys are saying ANC support will continue to decline,” he said.
The ANC in Johannesburg remains the majority party in the council, with the most ward councillors.
“But they are facing a serious crisis. Not only in Gauteng but in other metros around the country,” he said.
Duvenhage believed that the two candidates who contested to become the regional chairperson of the ANC may not be strong enough to compete with bigwigs from opposition parties who have thrown their names in the ring as mayoral candidates. This includes the DA’s Helen Zille.
“We know people from other parties are presenting people with high profiles, so my take on this is that this competition between these two is problematic and could lead to divisions inside the ANC. It will limit them, and it will injure their profile… this is more of the same, and people are fed up with more of the same,” he said.
This is a developing story
NOW READ: Morero’s future on the line: Joburg mayor faces two big battles this week