By SIMBA RUSHWAYA
News Editor
PRETORIA- THE so-called parachuting of party bigwigs in place of cadres in strategic metros by the African National Congress, and the subsequent defiance by party supporters, portray a ruling party that has been rattled by the opposition and whose chances are diminishing in the upcoming municipal elections.
Ahead of the watershed polls, resulting in unprecedented intra-party violence the ruling party has ever suffered ahead of any polls, ANC has sacrificed cadres in the capital Pretoria and Ekurhuleni.
The fright that has set into the party has claimed the scalp of Mayors Kgosientso Ramokgopa and Mondli Gungubele respectively amid reports Johannesburg incumbent, Parks Tau, survived by a whisker.
Former Minister of Public Works and Agriculture and Lands, Thoko Didiza, has been named the City of Tshwane Mayoral candidate for the ruling party. Gungubele, notably makes way for Deputy Minister of Trade and International Trade, Mzwandile Masina, who is also party chairman in Ekurhuleni.
Tau survived the torrent in Gauteng in the wake of earlier claims he was going to be nudged aside in favour of local Speaker, Connie Bapela, for the Mayoral berth in the country’s commercial capital, Johannesburg.
Following the nominations Durban-born Didiza, whose nomination has been met by deadly violence in the capital after as an “outsider” she was nominated ahead of Ramokgopa, will now contest against DA’s firebrand candidate, Solly Msimanga, born and bred in Pretoria in the suburb of Atteridgeville.
Tau will have a formidable task against multi-millionaire businessman-turned DA politician, Herman Mashaba.
Masina will tussle against Ghaleb Cachalia for the Ekhuruleni mayoral post.
Elsewhere, there might have been no ructions on the choice of Tefe Molakeng to represent ANC in the Midvaal, where he will come up against incumbent Bongani Baloyi of the DA. Baloyi’s party controls Midvaal after a convincing victory in the last elections held in 2011.
Political commentator and University of South Africa (UNISA) lecturer, Everisto Benyera, says the stiff challenge posed by opposition prompted ANC’s decision to ring changes and place hopes on figures with more political clout ahead of some members affected by the purge.
“The ANC was guided by the calibre of candidates fielded by the opposition parties, mainly the DA, so they had no option but to respond in the manner they did. At a different level, Gungubele and Ramokgopa, unlike Tau, do not lead their ANC structures. Tau controls the powerful Soweto as the regional chairperson of Johannesburg ANC. Ramokgopa and Gungubele do not,” says Benyera.
The political scientist further argues, “In summary the ANC is responding to multiple threats as it simultaneously tries to pay attention to its evident yet denied multiple centres of power within and outside its structures.”
Political nominations in the ANC, the dominant party since independence in 1994, are a winner-takes-all for the various factions in the ruling party, Benyera says.
“Like all job opportunities, there is bound to be pushing, shoving, stabbing and back stabbing. In the midst of all this, Didiza with all political clout, astuteness and probably patronage on her side, was not a surprise candidate,” argues Benyera.
Opposition parties are reveling at the problems afflicting the ANC following the release of its nominations.
“The best deployment for Thoko Didiza is that she replaces Baleka Mbete (Speaker) in Parliament. In Tshwane, she will be attending to an ANC graveyard,” says Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) spokesperson, Mbuyiseni Ndlozi.
President Jacob Zuma and Luthuli House have deployed an “outsider”, Didiza, to run for Mayor in an attempt to restore some credibility in the Tshwane ANC, DA says.
“In contrast to Didiza, Msimanga is a son of Tshwane with a passion to serve its residents and make it great again.”
The ANC meanwhile is disturbed by the outbreak of violence which took place in the wake of the confirmation of Didiza as its candidate for the capital.
At least five people have been killed during the violence and several others injured.
“The ANC condemns heinous acts in the strongest terms possible and will act decisively where it is proven that any of our members were responsible for the shooting. We also call on the law enforcement agencies to act with no fear or favour to bring the perpetrators of this criminal act to book.”
The ruling party explains Dididiza’s nomination.
“Comrade Didiza is a senior and seasoned leader of our movement with extensive experience in governance. Her nomination for mayoral candidacy demonstrates our commitment to strengthening the capacity of leadership at local government level across the board,” the party states.
“We are confident that once elected by the people of Tshwane, she will continue to build on the solid foundation laid by Comrade Kgosientso ‘Sputla’ Ramokgopa and his collective over the last five years.” – Guardian
