Johannesburg – In the aftermath of the August 2016 elections, an ANC councillor died during the nomination process for the new mayor of Johannesburg, the country’s economic hub.
The richest metro in the country had, for the first time since the dawn of democracy, emerged as a hung council following the local polls, which resulted in a devastating blow to the ANC after it lost several metros.
A DA-EFF coalition ousted the ANC from power, leading to the election of Herman Mashaba as mayor on that fateful night during the first sitting of the council at the City Hall in Johannesburg.
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However, the elections were marred by the sudden death of newly sworn ANC councillor Nonhlanhla Mthembu, who collapsed and died as the DA member Vasco Da Gama, who was elected as speaker, opened nominations for the election of the mayor.
Mthembu’s colleagues later told a sad story of how she could not handle the City being snatched away from her party by the opposition.
The 2016 local polls would be remembered for how power was wrestled from the ANC in Johannesburg, Tshwane and Nelson Mandela Bay as the ruling party was forced into a power-sharing coalition in Ekurhuleni.
As the November municipal elections loom large, political parties have dispatched their big guns to the metros.
The metros are flush with cash, gobbling most of the state budget. They are where billions of rand in tenders are awarded, where big industries operate – they command economic power and are tools of political patronage for those controlling them.
According to National Treasury, South Africa’s six metropolitan municipalities play an important role in supporting economic growth and combating poverty.
“First, they provide public infrastructure and services to households and firms that enable economic activity to occur. Second, they guide and regulate spatial development in their jurisdictions that can significantly enhance the equity and efficiency of development.
“The combined budgeted expenditures of the metros comprise 57.5% of all municipal budgets,” according to a report, adding that “metros played an important role not only in the local government sphere, but also in the country as a whole”.
There were real fears within the ANC after 2016 that the party was becoming a rural organisation that was increasingly being driven out of major industrial hubs and towns, a development that was becoming the gateway through which the governing party was being thrown out of power.
Although the ruling party has managed to regain control of Johannesburg through a coalition, Tshwane and Nelson Mandela Bay remain in the hands of opposition.
This begs the question: Will the metros once again be the battleground next month?
Political analyst Xolani Dube said the country was inevitably headed for coalitions again in November.
Another analyst, Dr Ralph Mathekga, said most political parties went into the elections not feeling strong, as the masses had lost hope in politics.
“The main focus here is metros, as the minor political parties will be weakening major parties from these big metros, bearing in mind we still have over 230 municipalities to be contested is not going to be easy,” he said.
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