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Dlamini-Zuma, Mcebisi Jonas to save ANC in metros?

By Sunday World
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VEREENIGING, SOUTH AFRICA - MAY 13: Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma (Member of the African National Congress - ANC) during the Memorial Lecture in honour of Comrade Advocate Duma Nokwe at Sedibeng District Municipality Civic Hall on May 13, 2025 in Vereeniging, South Africa. Nokwe was the first African advocate to be admitted to the Supreme Court of South Africa and the former Secretary General of the ANC who relentlessly fought apartheid and embodied humility, discipline and service to free the oppressed majority. (Photo by Gallo Images/Sharon Seretlo)

The ANC is eyeing heavyweight personalities inside and outside its ranks to field formidable candidates for the upcoming local government elections, as the party this week opened the process for aspirant mayors for metropolitan municipalities to the public for the first time since the advent of democracy.

The move has been described as a subtle admission that ANC leaders in the regions where the eight metros are located were not up to the expected standard. In contrast, opposition parties like the DA have also parachuted high-profile faces like Helen Zille to contest Johannesburg, while Herman Mashaba is expected to anchor ActionSA’s campaign in Gauteng.

In the coming weeks, interviews of nominated candidates by the ANC’s top seven will ensue to attempt to get the best candidates to redeem the ANC’s dwindling fortunes in these cities, with lobbyists already punting names such as Mcebisi Jonas, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Mondli Gungubele, Mzwandile Masina, Parks Tau and David Makhura as possible mayoral rescue candidates for struggling metros. If that process does not yield the intended results, the ANC top brass is said to be mulling over the so-called “national intervention” approach of imposing candidates who are members of the NEC and leaders with national profiles to go back to become mayors in these metros.

“The ANC will embark on an intensive national process of identifying and headhunting capable mayoral candidates from across society. This includes experienced public representatives, professionals, community leaders, veterans of government, and individuals with proven leadership track records and governance capability,” the party said in April.

“This approach deliberately expands the pool of leadership beyond our robust internal ANC processes while remaining firmly rooted in the values and discipline of the organisation.”

In this regard, several lobby groups have started throwing around names of potential candidates who are outside municipal politics, such as former finance deputy minister Jonas for Nelson Mandela Bay metro and former minister Dlamini-Zuma for eThekwini.

“The mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay is a mess, and everyone saw for themselves her horrible and embarrassing performance in Parliament recently, and despite being regional ANC chair, she might not be a sellable candidate for the next term to the electorate,” said an ANC NEC member close to the developments.

“So, a person like Mcebisi Jonas with the track record he has could be the ideal candidate, but would he leave a multi-billion company like MTN for a dying ANC? I do not see that happening.”

Nelson Mandela Bay is one of the metros where the ANC has been struggling since 2016. The ANC has in that metro tried to employ the national intervention method when it installed Safa strongman Danny Jordaan as mayor ahead of the 2016 municipal polls. However, ANC support dipped to below outright majority.

Another name that is being bandied about for a national intervention this time is that of one of the most decorated ANC public servants since 1994 – Dlamini-Zuma – for the eThekwini metro. Those lobbying for Dlamini-Zuma argued that she could be a perfect candidate to wave off the MKP tsunami that is expected to annihilate the ANC in the strategic eThekwini.

“But NDZ (Dlamini-Zuma) might not be interested in that given her general attitude about the trajectory the ANC is taking under its current leadership, but there is no one better than her who can deal with MK in eThekwini,” said one lobbyist. “She’s a perfect candidate with no historical scandals and commands respect.”

In Ekurhuleni, the names of former mayors who are now NEC members such as Gungubele and Masina have been thrown into the hat as possible solutions if the national intervention method is to be applied there too.

Gungubele is tipped as a frontrunner to get the nod given his generally good record when he was mayor in that metro.

In the City of Johannesburg, the names of its former mayor in Parks Tau and former Gauteng premier Makhura are being sold as possible solutions to arrest the decline. Lobbyists, however, are wary that it could be a mountain to climb to convince Tau to leave his cushy position as minister of trade, industry, and competition to become a mayor – something he has done before.

These elections will not be the first where the ANC goes the route of national intervention. The ANC national leadership had tried to impose Thoko Didiza to become the mayoral candidate for Tshwane, a decision that resulted in ugly scenes of riots and tribalism in the capital city.

Controversial ANC Tshwane regional chairperson Eugene Bonzo Modise has eliminated himself from the race by being marred in tender controversies in the city where he is deputy mayor.

Local lobby groups have been pushing the name of her deputy Tlangi Mogale, but their opponents argue that the ANC will struggle to sell a “slay queen” to the voters at a time where every vote counts.

 

 

  • The ANC is seeking strong, influential candidates both within and outside the party for upcoming local government elections.
  • For the first time since democracy began, the ANC has opened the mayoral aspirants’ process to the public.
  • The focus is on metropolitan municipalities where mayor positions are highly contested.
  • This move signals the ANC’s intent to strengthen its leadership and governance in key urban areas.
  • Full details of the story are available in the Sunday World e-edition.
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The ANC is eyeing heavyweight personalities inside and outside its ranks to field formidable candidates for the upcoming local government elections, as the party this week opened the process for aspirant mayors for metropolitan municipalities to the public for the first time since the advent of democracy.

The move has been described as a subtle admission that ANC leaders in the regions where the eight metros are located were not up to the expected standard. In contrast, opposition parties like the DA have also parachuted high-profile faces like Helen Zille to contest Johannesburg, while Herman Mashaba is expected to anchor ActionSA’s campaign in Gauteng.

In the coming weeks, interviews of nominated candidates by the ANC’s top seven will ensue to attempt to get the best candidates to redeem the ANC’s dwindling fortunes in these cities, with lobbyists already punting names such as Mcebisi Jonas, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Mondli Gungubele, Mzwandile Masina, Parks Tau and David Makhura as possible mayoral rescue candidates for struggling metros. If that process does not yield the intended results, the ANC top brass is said to be mulling over the so-called “national intervention” approach of imposing candidates who are members of the NEC and leaders with national profiles to go back to become mayors in these metros.

“The ANC will embark on an intensive national process of identifying and headhunting capable mayoral candidates from across society. This includes experienced public representatives, professionals, community leaders, veterans of government, and individuals with proven leadership track records and governance capability,” the party said in April.

“This approach deliberately expands the pool of leadership beyond our robust internal ANC processes while remaining firmly rooted in the values and discipline of the organisation.”

In this regard, several lobby groups have started throwing around names of potential candidates who are outside municipal politics, such as former finance deputy minister Jonas for Nelson Mandela Bay metro and former minister Dlamini-Zuma for eThekwini.

“The mayor of Nelson Mandela Bay is a mess, and everyone saw for themselves her horrible and embarrassing performance in Parliament recently, and despite being regional ANC chair, she might not be a sellable candidate for the next term to the electorate,” said an ANC NEC member close to the developments.

“So, a person like Mcebisi Jonas with the track record he has could be the ideal candidate, but would he leave a multi-billion company like MTN for a dying ANC? I do not see that happening.”

Nelson Mandela Bay is one of the metros where the ANC has been struggling since 2016. The ANC has in that metro tried to employ the national intervention method when it installed Safa strongman Danny Jordaan as mayor ahead of the 2016 municipal polls. However, ANC support dipped to below outright majority.

Another name that is being bandied about for a national intervention this time is that of one of the most decorated ANC public servants since 1994 – Dlamini-Zuma – for the eThekwini metro. Those lobbying for Dlamini-Zuma argued that she could be a perfect candidate to wave off the MKP tsunami that is expected to annihilate the ANC in the strategic eThekwini.

“But NDZ (Dlamini-Zuma) might not be interested in that given her general attitude about the trajectory the ANC is taking under its current leadership, but there is no one better than her who can deal with MK in eThekwini,” said one lobbyist. “She’s a perfect candidate with no historical scandals and commands respect.”

In Ekurhuleni, the names of former mayors who are now NEC members such as Gungubele and Masina have been thrown into the hat as possible solutions if the national intervention method is to be applied there too.

Gungubele is tipped as a frontrunner to get the nod given his generally good record when he was mayor in that metro.

In the City of Johannesburg, the names of its former mayor in Parks Tau and former Gauteng premier Makhura are being sold as possible solutions to arrest the decline. Lobbyists, however, are wary that it could be a mountain to climb to convince Tau to leave his cushy position as minister of trade, industry, and competition to become a mayor – something he has done before.

These elections will not be the first where the ANC goes the route of national intervention. The ANC national leadership had tried to impose Thoko Didiza to become the mayoral candidate for Tshwane, a decision that resulted in ugly scenes of riots and tribalism in the capital city.

Controversial ANC Tshwane regional chairperson Eugene Bonzo Modise has eliminated himself from the race by being marred in tender controversies in the city where he is deputy mayor.

Local lobby groups have been pushing the name of her deputy Tlangi Mogale, but their opponents argue that the ANC will struggle to sell a “slay queen” to the voters at a time where every vote counts.