The people have spoken: The 16th ANC Greater Johannesburg Region meeting at Cedarwoods Hotel. Photo: ANC Joburg Region
Tensions within the ANC in Johannesburg have resurfaced. This time, it’s over allegations that the recent regional conference, which saw mayor Dada Morero lose his chairperson position to Loyiso Masuku was manipulated to favour party deputy president Paul Mashatile’s faction over that of secretary general Fikile Mbalula before the 2027 national elective conference.
Sources close to the matter say Election Management Consulting Agency of Africa (EMCA), the company appointed to oversee the electoral process, had potential conflicts of interest, raising questions about the integrity of the vote that saw Mashatile-aligned candidates dominate the regional executive committee in December Mbalula’s faction is disputing the outcome of the regional elective conference, citing irregularities in ballot design and candidate listings.
The former director of the company who works in the supply chain of the City of Johannesburg, resigned from the company in June and was replaced by her child who was born in 1992, sources told the Mail & Guardian. Of concern to Morero’s slate is the fact that the former company director, whose name is known to the M&G, previously worked in Masuku’s office in the city as a media liaison officer, raising questions about a possible conflict of interest.
The disgruntled party members say the timing of her resignation raised eyebrows as this was just a month before the conference was initially meant to sit.
The conference was postponed in July as it did not meet the threshold and again two more times before finally sitting in December.
A Morero ally said the woman did not disclose her affiliation to the company.
“She was one of the 130 employees the DA got rid of when it took power [in Johannesburg in 2021]. She worked in Loyiso’s office as a media liaison officer. That cannot be a coincidence. She also did not declare this company to the city,” the source said.
EMCA director Nkulie White rejected the allegations of misconduct against the company, saying it did not participate in political decision-making, candidate selection or factional processes.
“Our appointment was based on our technical capacity, proven experience in administering complex electoral conferences and our ability to deliver credible, transparent and free and fair electoral processes,” White said.
“As a contracted service provider to the ANC, EMCA is not at liberty to disclose internal or organisational information relating to the Johannesburg regional electoral conference. The mandate was issued through official ANC channels and our role was strictly limited to the provision of independent electoral administration services.”
However, ANC regional sources noted that for the first time, a different ballot was used for the vote, saying this pointed to an intention to steal the conference.
“In the ANC, the ballot always has all the top five in one ballot but this time the ballots were separate. All the top five positions had separate ballots and were put in separate boxes, something which has never been done,” said an insider.
They questioned how Nomoya Mnisi, who received 159 votes for deputy regional secretary, did not make it to the regional executive committee. They highlighted irregularities in the ranking of candidates, with Morero listed lower down despite usually ranking higher. Opening the ballot boxes would reveal deliberate manipulation, the source said.
Morero refused to comment, telling the M&G that the matter was being handled by the province. Masuku had not responded to questions sent to her by the time of going to print.
Another source in the ANC’s Gauteng task team, which has run the province since the dissolution of the provincial executive committee, said – during the Tshwane regional conference – that those contesting threatened to boycott it or take the party to court if it attempted to use the same company to run the vote.
“Those comrades were clear: they didn’t want that company and even said they would not proceed with the conference if this company was to be the one which presided over their conference because of what had happened in Johannesburg,” they said.
In an interview with public broadcaster SABC this week, Mbalula said his office and the provincial office were addressing concerns about ballot boxes. He said the boxes were safe with the Electoral Commission of South Africa which would handle any discrepancies and respond to complaints.
Politically, last December’s victory for Masuku’s slate is expected to bolster Mashatile’s presidential bid at the 2027 conference while Morero signals a loss for Mbalula’s faction in the Johannesburg region, some ANC sources said.
But the Gauteng provincial task team (PTT) member who spoke to the M&G said Mbalula’s faction had significant support in Johannesburg and had consolidated its grip on Tshwane.
“Dont undermine that man, obviously he had hoped that his faction would win Johannesburg but in Tshwane those who support him won the conference. You look at places like Sedibeng, Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg, all of them are divided in terms of who to support in 2027 but in Tshwane all of them support Mbalula; he is far ahead of Paul,” they said.
The PTT member added that the Eastern Cape would play a pivotal role in who wins in 2027, depending on who was able to fulfill provincial chair Oscar Mabuyane’s demand for the deputy president position.
“They (ANC in the Eastern Cape) come with huge numbers and KZN is not significant anymore because there are no existing structures there,” they said.
On Thursday Mashatile’s spokesperson Keith Khoza said the deputy president was not in favour of any faction but rather wanted the unity and renewal of the ANC. Mbalula referred the M&G’s questions to ANC spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri.
Those in Masuku’s faction say that even if the conference was to sit again tomorrow, they would emerge victorious, accusing the Morero slate of refusing to accept defeat.
“The problem here is you are dealing with people who went to conference, contested and the results were not according to what they expected and now they just want to create drama,” a Masuku ally said.
ANC regional secretary Sasabone Manganye said the party’s electoral committee oversaw all work by the elections agency, ensuring fairness and independence.
He emphasised that disputes should be handled through ANC processes and defended Johannesburg’s leadership as duly elected and in good standing.
“The leadership of Johannesburg is not questionable, we are a leadership in good standing. We were elected in a duly constituted conference … Whatever outcomes are there, you can attribute that to the elections agency, it’s the outcomes of the delegates and it ends there,” he said.
Manganye said he was not concerned about the ownership of the elections company, saying its conduct during the Johannesburg conference had been adequately monitored by the ANC electoral committee.
As tension swirls between the factions, the name of billionaire businessman and Confederation of African Football president Patrice Motsepe has come up in discussions about the country’s future leadership.
Sources close to the issue told the M&G that there have been a series of private meetings between business executives, bankers and politically connected intermediaries about Motsepe’s potential.
“Motsepe would be a great fit for the country because of his experience with leadership positions. He is the one that can renew the ANC and save it from its money woes because he understands how to manage money,” said a source who has been lobbied for Motsepe to become ANC president.
“There is a general agreement even from close allies of President Ramaphosa that he would be the stable solution that the organisation needs.”
Motsepe has repeatedly dismissed speculation about pursuing political office.
Asked at a South African National Editors’ Forum dinner last year whether he would consider standing for president or taking on leadership within the ANC, he responded: “They asked me: ‘Will you get into politics?’ And what I said at the time is: ‘I’m not mad. I don’t have to enter into politics to make the contribution I have to.”
Those lobbying for his rise said Motsepe had not sought nominations from ANC branches or any faction within the party but they were trying to persuade him to consider joining.
“If we are to save the organisation from further losses, Motsepe is the candidate to have in the forefront. He is the only hope for our organisation,” one said.
The ANC has publicly rejected any notion that Motsepe is a contender for leadership with Mbalula previously describing the circulation of campaign material, slogans and merchandise promoting a so-called “PM2027” initiative as mischievous and inconsistent with ANC rules, the Sunday World reported.
Motsepe’s spokesperson Luxolo September said while speculations about his rise to politics have resurfaced, he has not changed his position of supporting the country from the sidelines.