The ANC in Johannesburg launched its manifesto in the five-star Park Hyatt hotel in Rosebank, Johannesburg, this week.
No dusty sport stadiums, unmanageable crowds and dodgy sound systems for the leaders of the municipality that independent organisation, Municipal IQ, judges to be the most productive in South Africa. In the Hyatt’s air-conditioned Ilanga conference room Johannesburg’s political leaders mingled with about 100 candidates, all clad in bright yellow T-shirts.
The Dolce & Gabbana watch on Parks Tau’s wrist, seen as he unfurled his laptop’s PowerPoint presentation, made it clear why he was the unofficial mayoral candidate for Johannesburg.
The presentation showed the ANC’s promise to Johannesburg residents of better transport systems, but neglected to mention potholes. His show declared the new mayoral council would provide better services, but had not one word about the billing crisis.
As the Hyatt highlight, 12 former members of the Democratic Alliance branch in Riverlea, a lower-middle-class suburb of Johannesburg, were ushered in to vow their new allegiance to the ruling party.
Former Riverlea DA chairperson Ashley Peters, an evangelist preacher, declared he couldn’t serve his community with DA “lies and corruption”.
After the formalities, the comrades got to taste the fruits of liberation in the food parcels of the rich: gooseberry tarts, cream scones and sparkling grape juice in champagne flutes.
When the salmon sandwiches and chocolate muffins weren’t replenished quickly enough, comrades tackled the table decoration of Granny Smith apples and emptied the metre-high vase in record time.
Joy Coplan, the proportional representation candidate for Dunkeld and Hyde Park, told the Mail & Guardian the Hyatt seemed to have become the favourite hangout for exiting Johannesburg mayor Amos Masondo.
“I was surprised that the end-of-term council event two weeks ago was here as well,” she said. “I think a deal has been struck. The Hyatt needs business.”
One official explained that the host ANC branch, Sandton 103, chose the venue. But another official was less diplomatic. “It’s just some Sandton blingster who wanted to show off.”