The ultimate decision about who will take over the city’s top job may clearly be in the hands of top ANC structures – but that obviously hasn’t dampened the spirits of those who wish to see certain people occupying the mayoral position.
The ultimate decision about who will take over the city’s top job may clearly be in the hands of top ANC structures – but that obviously hasn’t dampened the spirits of those who wish to see certain people occupying the mayoral position.
A number of names have been cropping up among party members and the public, with regards to who may end up in the powerful position, should the ANC win the local government elections in Makana.
Three of the four people whose names keep coming up appeared in the party's list conference in Kirkwood, according to insiders.
The names at the top of the list, according to insiders are those of local ANC sub-regional leader Mabhuti Matyumza and deputy secretary Nombulelo Masoma. Both are in the party's local top five and they apparently enjoy the support of the branches.
Although both Matyumza and Masoma refused to dwell on the issue, they appear to be the front-runners, at least according to the list.
Current mayor Nomhle Gaga and former mayor Likhaya Ngqezana complete the four-person race.
Gaga has made it on to the list, according to insiders, while Ngqezana, on the other hand, doesn’t feature.
Responding to a question about whether people not on the list stood any chance of being deployed to the position, ANC regional secretary Scara Njadayi said the process was still ongoing and as a result he was unable comment on the matter.
Gaga refused to be drawn into a conversation about the position, saying her focus was on her current term, which comes to an end soon.
Speaking to Grocott’s Mail yesterday she said she doesn’t want to be involved in the conversation.
“It’s not about anyone, it’s about the ANC. The ANC will deploy whoever it wants. Everybody must just respect how the ANC does things, and it never does things wrong.
“At the right time it will deploy a mayor in Makana and everyone will know who that is then. “Mine started when I was sworn into council and ends when my term ends,” she said.
Matyumza echoed Gaga’s words, saying that the process belongs to the ANC. He said whether one wants to or not, it is ultimately the ANC that makes the final decision.
“If the ANC says a person must take over, then that person will take over,” he said. Matyumza said the process requires the participation of the branches of the ANC.
“It is a process whereby the branches of the ANC will then at least engage and lobby the upper structures. For example, they will lobby the region and the province and so on,” he said.
It is ultimately up to the deployment committee of the party to choose from three names.
“The deployment committee of the ANC is clear: you don’t submit one name, you submit three names and upon the top three it is then they decide as to who must be the mayor from those three names,” he said.
“So far I don’t want to lie: it would be upon the ANC as to whether it should we take this person to be a mayor or to be in the mayoral committee or to be an ordinary councillor or a chief whip.”
Ngqezana said the appointment of leaders is entirely the role of the organisation.
Ngqezana said in the ANC people don’t develop personal ambitions.
“You respond to a well-reasoned political calling by the leadership and membership of the ANC,” he said.
Ngqezana said that call at this point in time has not been made to him and it is therefore within the context of political discipline for him to say he cannot respond to a call that has not been made.
“If a call is being made by my organisation at an appropriate moment I will then apply myself to that call and respond within the context of the organisational process,” he said.
Ngqezana said the ANC will accordingly inform the people of Makana about its well considered choices for leadership, not him.
“With a sense of humility, respect and love of our media, I truly request that I don’t get personally approached on this question because this debate has not arisen,” he said.
Ngqezana said he had expressed his love for the people of Makana, but said only the party has the right to make a decision on the matter.
Responding to a question about a Facebook page titled "Ngqezana for mayorship", he said he has heard people speaking about it but said he thinks it's easy for the media to trace where that originates from, who is posting on the page and what are those people saying.
He distanced himself from the page, saying, "It is not me speaking there. It is different individuals who are speaking, and I even keep laughing that off, knowing very well that here it is the ANC that decides.
"I'm not saying people cannot have their personal preferences as to who must lead the city, but at the end of the day whoever is part of a particular campaign, whether it's on Facebook or not they must understand that the locus of decision-making resides with the ANC and therefore Likhaya Ngqezana has nothing to do with the process," he said.
Masoma refused to entertain the conversation, saying, "Only the organisation can make such decisions, not me. It's not my place to comment on such issues. That is the decision of the ANC."
anele@grocotts.co.za
