Loyiso Masuku, wife of former Gauteng health MEC Bandile Masuku, has emerged as one of the possible contenders for the position of Johannesburg mayor in the coming local government elections after topping the ANC candidate list.
Masuku has seemingly weathered the storm after being cleared of alleged involvement in the controversial Covid-19 personal protective equipment corruption scandal last year that led to her husband's dismissal from the provincial government.
This means that her name will most likely be one of three the region will send to Luthuli House next month for interviews for the mayoral post.
Masuku is followed on the list by regional treasurer Mpho Moerane, MMC for health Eunice Mgcina and a surprise candidate, 32-year-old Nomoya Mnisi.
The Sunday Times understands that Masuku will contest the mayoral position against the recently inaugurated incumbent, Jolidee Matongo, who will seek re-election.
However, her chances of success are slim as her faction in the region has been weakened by the passing of former mayor Geoff Makhubo.
Matongo is preferred by the dominant ANC faction in Johannesburg, led by regional secretary Dada Morero and regional treasurer Moerane.
The Morero faction is believed to be aligned to a grouping in the Gauteng executive committee that includes provincial secretary Jacob Khawe and provincial executive committee members Lebogang Maile and Mzwandile Masina, among others.
Morero told the Sunday Times that Masuku's name being first on the list did not guarantee her the keys to the mayor's office.
“What would happen is that the REC [regional executive committee] would sit and decide on which name, whether you are number seven or you are number 10. The list process in terms of the 10% that is untouched is basically a list of councillors.
"It is not a list that confirms mayoral committee or mayoral candidate. It only confirms that, yes, you are on the list to be a councillor,” Morero said.
“Being number one means you got more votes than others but it does not mean you are mayoral candidate or an MMC, except that it confirms you as a councillor even if the percentages of the party can drop.”
He said the ANC could even decide to nominate someone who is not on the councillor list.
There is also a likelihood that the same three names that were recently sent to Luthuli House will emerge again as mayoral candidates, and should this be the case there will not be a need for further interviews, putting Matongo in clear view of re-election.
Loyiso Masuku will contest the mayoral position against the recently inaugurated incumbent, Jolidee Matongo, who will seek re-election
“We will be guided there by the national officials but what we know is that should the REC produce the same three names that went through interviews we think the NOB [national office bearers] may want to simply endorse without taking them again through an interview.
"But should it be different names, I would suspect that the NOB will then insist on interviews.”
In Tshwane there seems to be a fierce battle between the regional chair Kgosi Maepa and Frans Boshielo, who are contesting for the mayoral post. This will however depend on the electoral court ruling in favour of the ANC, which wants the candidate lists to be reopened.
In Ekurhuleni, the current mayor, Mzwandile Masina, is likely to seek another term. He recently told Business Day that he was expecting the ANC to win the local elections with an outright majority but that it would go into a coalition should it lose.
Masina is, however, also being touted as the next chair of the ANC in Gauteng.
In eThekwini, Thabani Nyawose tops the list of proportional representation councillors, a signal that he is the ANC's preferred candidate for the metro's mayoral seat.
Nyawose's main political rival in the region is Zandile Gumede. While she could not make it onto the list due to the ANC's step-aside rule, she already serves as a member of the provincial legislature.
“Both factions don't want [current mayor Mxolisi] Kaunda, but Nyawose may also not be mayor because Zandile's people will be really angry. It's too risky because she still has significant support and the ANC needs that support,” a PEC insider said.
“While Zandile is out and Thabani seems to be a favourite, Thabani's faction was out of power for so long it was Gumede and her people who were in control of branches. You don't remove such power without an elective conference.”
Some of Gumede's allies did not contest in the branches due to criminal charges relating to the Durban Solid Waste tender scandal in which the former mayor is implicated. Another insider speculated that if the ANC wants all members to campaign in eThekwini, “they will have to bring a neutral candidate”.
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