EKURHULENI, GAUTENG — The African National Congress (ANC) has yet to finalize its mayoral candidate for the Ekurhuleni metropolitan municipality ahead of next week’s local government elections. As the ruling party prepares for a critical electoral battle in South Africa’s fourth-largest metro, internal divisions and a declining voter base have significantly complicated the candidate selection process.
Current Mayor and Regional Chairperson Nkosindiphile Xhakaza is actively campaigning for a second term, should the party retain control of the municipality. Xhakaza argues that his two-year tenure has stabilized the metro and improved governance.
“Give us a chance to complete what we have started. We are putting Ekurhuleni back where it belongs in the top-performing municipalities,” Xhakaza stated. He highlighted his clear program of action for impactful service delivery, expressing confidence that his track record will compel the party’s national leadership to make the right decision. “I have taken the city from a state of crisis into a season of hope, a season of delivery,” he added.
However, Xhakaza faces stiff competition from within his own ranks. Finance MMC Jongizizwe Dlabathi, a former regional secretary, has emerged as a leading contender and is reportedly topping the region’s list of prospective mayoral candidates. Dlabathi resigned from his party position in September—just two months before the elections—a move that has highlighted deep divisions within an already fragile regional structure.
The road to electoral victory remains far from easy for the ANC in Ekurhuleni. The party’s support in the metro has been on a steady decline, a trend that originally cost it an outright majority in 2016. This downward trajectory continued during the 2021 local government elections, where the party’s support plummeted to an unprecedented 38%.
Xhakaza attributes these electoral misfortunes to internal party squabbles and organizational challenges. “Today we are confronted with a whole lot of things. We get infiltrated in terms of our membership. Some of the people we think we’re working with… are not committing, they are after something else,” he explained, noting that sustaining leadership under such difficult circumstances has been a major hurdle.
Addressing the internal fractures, ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) member Barbara Creecy visited Ekurhuleni on Wednesday to assess the situation on the ground. Creecy emphasized that despite its internal difficulties, the party remains a vital and relevant force in South African society.
“The ANC has its own difficulties, but the ANC also has a wealth of experience in government and also has a wealth of know-how on how to solve problems,” Creecy said. She further highlighted the party’s foundational ideology, stating, “We have an ideology that says South Africa belongs to all South Africans, black and white, whatever different groupings we come from.”
Ultimately, the ANC in Ekurhuleni faces a dual challenge: fighting to reclaim public trust while simultaneously managing fierce internal factionalism over who should lead the metro. The final resolution to both issues will be determined by voters at the ballot box next week.
