The ANC’s councillor qualification drive has created a new expectation that those entering local government must meet a certain standard.
Looking at the people occupying two of Gauteng’s biggest mayoral offices, the standard appears considerably higher.
Thousands of councillor hopefuls who failed the matric test were told they had work to do.
The party’s message was that running municipalities requires a higher level of preparation, discipline and competence.
A look at the CVs of the incumbents and contenders for control of three economic powerhouses — Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane — shows a leadership pool with different journeys.
Some climbed through municipal administration. Some through finance. Some through academia. But their qualifications sit well above the minimum threshold being demanded from councillor candidates.
In Ekurhuleni, the CV of ANC mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza reads less like that of a traditional career politician and more like someone who travelled through the corporate world before entering local government.
Xhakaza spent years in the private sector, including at Siemens.
His career began in commercial and financial roles, including business administration trainee, financial controller, IT contracts financial manager and business unit controller. His responsibilities included financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, contract management and financial controls.
It was a background that later fitted neatly into municipal government.
Xhakaza moved into Ekurhuleni politics, serving as an ANC councillor, deputy chief whip and later in mayoral committee positions.
As MMC for finance, economic development and ICT, he was responsible for some of the most important functions in the metro, including budgets, economic development, investment attraction and information technology.
Academically, his record also developed over time. He completed a national diploma in cost and management accounting at Vaal University of Technology, later adding a postgraduate diploma in public management and a master’s in public management from Regenesys Business School.
Xhakaza’s profile therefore combines three worlds the ANC often says it wants in government: technical skills, private-sector exposure and political experience.
Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero followed a more traditional public administration route.
His academic record is built on managing government institutions.
Morero’s profile lists a BA in public management, postgraduate qualifications and master’s degrees in public management and policy development. It also lists a master’s in public management and policy development from the University of London.
His professional career has largely been tied to government and politics.
Before becoming mayor, Morero worked in the City of Johannesburg, including in the office of former finance MMC Parks Tau, before becoming director of customer centres and marketing. He later became one of the most influential figures in ANC Johannesburg politics, serving three terms as regional secretary and later regional chairperson before becoming mayor in 2024.
Morero’s CV reflects a politician who has spent years inside the machinery of the city he now leads.
Tshwane presents a different picture.
The mayor’s office is occupied by ActionSA’s Dr Nasiphi Moya but the ANC is attempting to regain control of the capital and has shortlisted several candidates, among them former ANC Tshwane regional chairperson Kgosi Maepa, Aaron Maluleka and Tlangi Mogale.
Sunday World could obtain Maepa’s CV only.
He holds a BSc and BSc honours degree from the University of Pretoria, an MPhil in workplace ethics and business and professional ethics and a PhD in public affairs from the University of Pretoria.
His CV records 24 years of work experience, including 21 years at the senior management level. He previously served as strategic executive head and adviser to the Tshwane mayor, overseeing governance, risk, finance, communications and service delivery.
The ANC’s new councillor rules have created a minimum entry requirement. But among those competing for the mayoral chains in Gauteng’s biggest cities, the standard is much higher.
- The ANC’s new councillor qualification drive requires candidates to meet a minimum educational standard before entering local government.
- Ekurhuleni mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza has a background in private sector finance and corporate roles, with a national diploma, postgraduate diploma, and master's in public management.
- Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero has academic qualifications including a BA and master’s degrees in public management and policy development, and professional experience within City of Johannesburg administration.
- Tshwane's ANC mayoral contender Kgosi Maepa holds a BSc, BSc honours, MPhil, and a PhD, with 24 years of work experience including senior management roles in Tshwane governance.
- The academic and professional credentials of these mayoral candidates significantly exceed the ANC’s minimum requirements for councillor candidates.
A look at the CVs of the incumbents and contenders for control of three economic powerhouses — Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and
Some climbed through municipal administration. Some through finance. Some through academia. But their qualifications sit well above the minimum threshold being demanded from councillor candidates.
In Ekurhuleni, the CV of ANC mayor
Xhakaza spent years in the private sector, including at Siemens.
His career began in commercial and financial roles, including business administration trainee, financial controller, IT contracts financial manager and business unit controller. His responsibilities included financial reporting, budgeting, forecasting, contract management and financial controls.
It was a background that later fitted neatly into municipal government.
Xhakaza moved into Ekurhuleni politics, serving as an ANC councillor, deputy chief whip and later in mayoral committee positions.
As MMC for finance, economic development and ICT, he was responsible for some of the most important functions in the metro, including budgets, economic development, investment attraction and information technology.
Academically, his record also developed over time. He completed a national diploma in cost and management accounting at Vaal University of Technology, later adding a postgraduate diploma in public management and a master’s in public management from Regenesys Business School.
Xhakaza’s profile therefore combines three worlds the ANC often says it wants in government: technical skills, private-sector exposure and political experience.
Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero followed a more traditional public administration route.
His academic record is built on managing government institutions.
Morero’s profile lists a BA in public management, postgraduate qualifications and master’s degrees in public management and policy development. It also lists a master’s in public management and policy development from the University of
His professional career has largely been tied to government and politics.
Before becoming mayor, Morero worked in the City of Johannesburg, including in the office of former finance MMC Parks Tau, before becoming director of customer centres and marketing. He later became one of the most influential figures in ANC Johannesburg politics, serving three terms as regional secretary and later regional chairperson before becoming mayor in 2024.
Morero’s CV reflects a politician who has spent years inside the machinery of the city he now leads.
He holds a BSc and BSc honours degree from the University of Pretoria, an MPhil in workplace ethics and business and professional ethics and a PhD in public affairs from the University of Pretoria.
His CV records 24 years of work experience, including 21 years at the senior management level. He previously served as strategic executive head and adviser to the
