Statement of the African National Congress following the Special National Executive Committee Meeting held on the 18th June 2016
The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress (ANC) met in a Special NEC meeting today, 18 June 2016 at the Saint George Hotel and Conference Centre, Gauteng. Members of the NEC, Officials of the Leagues and representatives of the Alliance Partners attended the meeting.
The Special NEC meeting was convened to consider and finalise ANC mayoral candidates towards the 2016 Local Government Elections. The finalization of mayoral candidates is the culmination of an extensive process of internal democracy, which placed at its core the wishes of our people and structures.
Candidates were considered for the Metropolitan Municipalities and other strategic municipalities defined as such on the basis of their history, geo-political location, growth and development trajectory and economic activity amongst others.
Resolution 57 on Organisation Renewal of the ANC 52nd Conference directed as follows on the deployment of cadres:
“… At local government level, the REC should make recommendations of not more than three names of cadres, in order of priority, who should be considered for mayorship, and the PEC will make a final decision based on the pool of names submitted by the REC. Those members of either the REC or PEC who are being considered for deployment should recuse themselves when decisions affecting them are made.”
Accordingly, eight (8) Provincial Executive Committees submitted their recommendations to the NEC for assessment. The Northern Cape Province was given an extension to conclude their list for strategic municipalities.
The NEC assessment sought to ascertain and ensure that the candidates proposed assist the ANC achieve the following objectives:
1. Effective governance in the management of municipalities
2. Gender parity for effective support of women emancipation and growth
3. Municipal performance and stability
4. Improving skills profile at the level of the individual and council as an institution
5. Elimination of suspicious marginalization of competent comrades, skills retention and the need for seamless succession
6. Deployment of the best and most competent cadres to serve the movement and our people
The process of deployment of Mayors or any office in government is not a function of positions in the constitutional structures. It is neither a function of the position a person holds on a candidate list from List Conferences. The ultimate objective is to ensure that the best amongst us is bestowed with the responsibility to lead, at whatever level, towards the fulfillment of the mandate from our people. Comrades with criminal convictions or pending cases were not considered for mayoral candidacy.
The ANC is pleased to present today the following comrades as candidates of our people for Mayors in the 2016 Local Government Elections. The NEC does so cognizant of the fact that no single individual working alone can deliver on our people’s aspirations. It is the leadership collectives of the organisation and government working together with our communities that will advance people’s power in every community.
Metropolitan Municipalities
Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality: Cde Olly Mlamleli
Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality: Cde Xola Pakati
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality: Cde Danny Jordan
City of Cape Town: Cde Xolani Sotashe
City of Ekurhuleni: Cde Mzwandile Masina
City of Joburg: Cde Parks Tau
City of Tshwane: The Regional Executive Committee submitted 3 names to the Provincial Executive Committee. The PEC was not convinced with the names submitted. Consequently a delegation of the NEC will be leading further discussion with structures in Tshwane.
eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality: Cde Zandile Gumede
Other Strategic Municipalities
Addendum attached to this statement
Conclusion
The African National Congress is satisfied and confident that these Mayoral candidates presented consists of some of the best comrades amongst our ranks to advance our programme of radical socio-economic transformation. The ANC calls on all its structures and our communities to support them as they lead us to an overwhelming victory for the ANC in the Local Government elections.
We extend our gratitude to many of our comrades who are currently serving as Mayors for their loyal service to the movement and the people of South Africa. The ANC has been on the ground interacting with our people across the length and breadth of our country. We have no doubt that South Africans, in their overwhelming majority, will renew the mandate of the ANC to build on the solid foundation over the last 15 years of democratic local governance.
Statement issued by Gwede Mantashe, ANC Secretary General, 19 June 2016
