Statement of the African National Congress on the ANC Mayoral Candidate for the City of Tshwane
20 June 2016
The African National Congress (ANC) announced mayoral candidates for all metropolitan municipalities, except for the City of Tshwane, on Saturday, 18 June 2016. Explaining the decision not to announce a candidate for the City of Tshwane, we said that the Tshwane Regional Executive Committee (REC) had presented three (3) names to the Gauteng Provincial Executive Committee (PEC), in line with 52nd National Conference resolution on deployment which states that
"“… 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.”
The PEC, to whom the names were recommended, was however not convinced of the candidates proposed and made a representation to the National Executive Committee (NEC) for an intervention in Tshwane. The ANC prides itself on our very robust system of internal democracy and thus any intervention that alters the outcomes of a democratic process is not taken lightly. It must also be noted that this is not the first time the ANC has had to take such a decision.
National and Provincial leadership agreed on the intervention and at a meeting held on Sunday, 19 June 2016, Comrade Thoko Didiza was presented to the REC for consideration as ANC mayoral candidate for City of Tshwane. The intervention and the name of Comrade Thoko Didiza was unanimously accepted by the REC. Comrade Thoko Didiza is thus the ANC Mayoral Candidate for the City.
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. 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 5 years.
The ANC expresses its gratitude to Comrade Ramokgopa who is an extremely capable administrator who has ably led the Capital City as Executive Mayor. We have no doubt that he will not be lost to the organisation.
The ANC has noted and is deeply disturbed by the outbreak of violence which took place at the outskirts of where the meeting was held yesterday. One person who was member of the ANC passed away and several others were 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 perpertrators of this criminal act to book. We send our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. His name will not be made public until it is ascertained that his next of kin have been properly notified. May his soul rest in peace.
The ANC calls for calm and discipline amongst this members, we will report to our branches on this decision and for them to rally behind the resolution. The robust nature of our candidate selection process provides an opportunity for members of our organisation to voice their displeasure, once decisions are taken it is ultimately incumbent on all our members to close ranks, and in this case support and rally behind Comrade Thoko Didiza and all our councilor candidates as they lead us to a decisive and overwhelming victory of the ANC on the 3rd August 2016.
Issued by Jessie Duarte, Deputy Secretary General, ANC, 20 June 2016
