JOHANNESBURG, Gauteng — The African National Congress (ANC) will delay the official announcement of its mayoral candidates until September, a strategic pivot that political analysts describe as crisis management ahead of the November 4 local government elections. Despite earlier expectations that nominees for eight metros and 44 district municipalities would be unveiled at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg this past Saturday, the party released only a preliminary shortlist, raising immediate questions about internal cohesion and campaign readiness.
President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the preliminary list, urging South Africans not to take the upcoming elections for granted, citing the historical struggle for voting rights. While highlighting the ANC’s 30-year track record of delivering essential services like water and electricity, Ramaphosa also acknowledged that the party must own up to current challenges, including dwindling infrastructure, potholes, and water provision failures.
Political analyst Brutus Malada characterized the delayed announcement as a clear sign of internal disagreements. He noted that the lack of a standardized nomination process—such as one Free State municipality yielding eight nominees while Johannesburg produced only three—suggests the party is actively managing brewing factional divisions. Malada warned of potential sabotage, recalling past instances where imposed candidates, such as Thoko Didiza in Tshwane, were rejected by local party structures when they did not align with regional preferences.
The preliminary list has already sparked speculation, with names like Andile Lungisa in the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality—a politician known for previously opposing Ramaphosa’s leadership—and Mandla Mandela in the King Sabata Dalindyebo municipality. In Johannesburg, Reverend Frank Chikane’s name emerged despite earlier reports suggesting he might stay out of the race. Meanwhile, Soviet Lekganyane, identified as the former provincial secretary of the ANC and chairperson of the parliamentary ad hoc committee, was announced as a candidate for the city of Polokwane.
Malada emphasized that delaying the final candidate announcement puts the ANC at a severe campaign disadvantage. Rival parties are already in full campaign mode, with the Democratic Alliance fielding Helen Zille and ActionSA rallying behind Herman Mashaba in the highly contested city of Johannesburg.
“The earliest bird catches the fattest worm,” Malada noted, adding that a late announcement leaves the eventual ANC candidate with insufficient time to internalize the campaign and build public confidence against well-established rival campaigns.
A major point of contention is the lack of clarity on how the final candidate will be selected from the shortlist and whether communities will have a meaningful say in the outcome. This ambiguity exacerbates a growing trust deficit between the party and the electorate. Malada pointed to previous “roll call” meetings where the ANC promised comprehensive, quarterly reports on infrastructure and water delivery, only for those commitments to fade into silence. Similarly, the national monitoring and evaluation department has yet to produce visible reports on municipal improvements or hold local executives accountable.
Furthermore, the ANC’s upcoming manifesto launch in Diepsloot was described by Malada as largely symbolic. He warned residents not to expect actual prioritization or follow-through, but rather “false hope” that mirrors past unfulfilled promises.
Finally, Malada rejected the notion that the ANC is unfairly blamed for service delivery failures in coalition governments. He argued that the ANC cannot be shielded from responsibility, given its historical role in installing mayors in Johannesburg and its supporting agreements that placed an ActionSA mayor in Tshwane. “They have participated and contributed to the instability that we have witnessed,” Malada concluded, underscoring the high stakes for the ANC as the election season intensifies.
