Every previous regional chair has been elevated to the mayorship
In the corridors of Luthuli House, the ANC this week conducted something rarer than it appears: a genuine contest for the soul of Johannesburg's leadership. Three candidates — regional chairperson Loyiso Masuku, incumbent mayor Dada Morero, and Reverend Frank Chikane — faced the party's highest officials in interviews that will determine who carries the ANC's banner into Africa's largest city's next electoral chapter. The process marks a deliberate departure from the party's old habit of selecting mayors only after votes are counted, a quiet admission that the old way was no longer working.
- Loyiso Masuku walked out of Luthuli House as the frontrunner, having impressed President Ramaphosa and the ANC's top seven with answers that left officials largely untroubled.
- Incumbent Dada Morero nearly didn't make it into the room at all — the Johannesburg regional executive initially left him off the nomination list before secretary-general Mbalula intervened to restore him.
- Johannesburg's crumbling infrastructure and strained finances hung over the interviews like a verdict, making every question directed at Morero feel like an audit of his tenure.
- The ANC is betting that announcing mayoral candidates before the election — rather than after — can reverse its declining fortunes by giving voters a local face to rally around.
- Masuku's supporters are already framing her potential selection in historic terms: every previous Johannesburg regional chairperson has ascended to the mayorship, and they warn the party will face hard questions if it breaks that pattern now.
The ANC's most senior leadership convened at Luthuli House this week to interview candidates for Johannesburg's mayoralty — a position that carries enormous symbolic and practical weight as the helm of Africa's economic engine. Three finalists entered that room: Loyiso Masuku, the party's Johannesburg regional chairperson; Dada Morero, the sitting mayor; and Reverend Frank Chikane, brought into the process by national office bearers themselves. The panel was formidable — President Cyril Ramaphosa, the ANC's top seven, and an electoral committee chaired by former deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe.
The road to those interviews was turbulent. Morero had initially been excluded from the regional nomination list entirely, a move that would have ended his candidacy before it began. Secretary-general Fikile Mbalula stepped in, arguing that sidelining sitting mayors sent the wrong signal. Other names — former deputy finance minister Jabu Moleketi, businesswoman Chichi Maponya, deputy chief whip Makhosazana Ndlela — circulated but did not survive the cut.
Inside the room, Masuku impressed. Those close to the process described her performance as assured, her vision resonating with the officials who will shape the party's electoral strategy. Morero faced harder questioning, given the city's well-documented struggles with infrastructure and service delivery, but sources said he held his ground. Both are expected to appear on the final three-person shortlist the ANC will announce publicly.
What makes this moment significant is the strategic logic behind it. The ANC is abandoning its long-standing practice of revealing mayoral choices only after elections are won. The party now wants its candidates in the field before polling day, betting that recognisable local figures can do what the president's face alone has failed to do — draw voters back. For Masuku, the stakes carry an additional layer: she would be the first female Johannesburg regional chair to become mayor, and her supporters are already signalling that breaking the tradition of elevating regional chairs would demand an explanation. The public announcement is expected soon, and with it, a clearer picture of how the ANC intends to contest one of its most watched battlegrounds.
The ANC's top leadership gathered this week at Luthuli House to interview candidates for one of South Africa's most consequential municipal positions: mayor of Johannesburg. Three names made it to that room. Loyiso Masuku, the party's regional chairperson, walked out having impressed the officials who will shape the party's electoral strategy. She has emerged as the frontrunner in a race that will determine who leads Africa's economic powerhouse through the next local government cycle.
Masuku faced off against two other finalists: Dada Morero, the incumbent mayor seeking another term, and Reverend Frank Chikane. The panel that grilled them was formidable—President Cyril Ramaphosa and the ANC's top seven, alongside an electoral committee led by former deputy president Kgalema Motlanthe. This was no routine administrative exercise. These are the party's highest-ranking officials, and they were vetting the person who will represent the ANC's face in one of its most visible roles.
The path to this moment was not straightforward. The Johannesburg regional executive committee had initially left Morero off the nomination list entirely, a snub that would have effectively ended his candidacy. But ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula intervened, arguing that excluding sitting mayors would send the wrong message. Morero was added. Chikane, by contrast, was brought into the process by the national office bearers themselves—a signal of their interest in his candidacy. Other names had circulated: former deputy finance minister Jabu Moleketi, businesswoman Chichi Maponya, and deputy chief whip Makhosazana Ndlela. None made the final cut.
Inside the interview room, Masuku and Morero faced searching questions about their vision and capacity. Those close to the process said Masuku emerged unscathed, her answers resonating with the officials. Morero, meanwhile, came under intense scrutiny—unsurprising given the challenges facing Johannesburg. The city's infrastructure, service delivery, and financial health have been subjects of public concern. Yet sources close to the incumbent said he held his ground, that observers were impressed by how he responded to the pressure.
Both candidates are now expected to make the final shortlist of three names that the ANC will publicly announce as its mayoral candidates. This represents a significant shift in how the party operates. Historically, the ANC would select mayors only after elections were won, using only the party president's face in campaign materials. That strategy has not delivered the results the party hoped for. Now the ANC wants to deploy its mayoral candidates as campaign assets before voters go to the polls, betting that local leaders can draw voters back to the party.
Masuku's supporters are already making their case for why she should be chosen. She would be the first female chairperson of the Johannesburg region to become mayor—a distinction they note matters, especially given that every previous regional chair has been elevated to the mayorship. If the party's leadership chooses someone else, they suggest, the party will have difficult questions to answer about why it broke that pattern now.
The ANC's public announcement of its mayoral slate is expected soon. What happens in that moment will shape not only Johannesburg's next chapter but also signal how the party intends to rebuild its electoral coalition ahead of what promises to be a closely watched local government election.
Notable Quotes
The current mayors will be interviewed automatically as part of the process— ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, on why incumbent Morero was added to the candidate list
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does it matter that Masuku impressed the officials? What does that actually mean for her chances?
It means the people making the final decision—Ramaphosa and the top seven—saw something in her that they believe can work for the party. In a closed-door process like this, "impressed" is the language insiders use when someone has moved to the front of the line.
But Morero is the sitting mayor. Doesn't that give him an advantage?
You'd think so. But he's also the face of a city that's struggling. The scrutiny he faced in that room wasn't random—it was about whether he can turn things around or whether the party needs fresh leadership.
What's the significance of Masuku being the first female regional chair to potentially become mayor?
It's a precedent question. Every male chair before her became mayor. If they skip her now, they're breaking a pattern and they'll have to justify it publicly. That's leverage.
Why is the ANC changing when it announces its mayoral candidates?
They're losing elections. Using mayors as campaign faces before the vote—not after—is a bet that local leaders can reconnect voters to the party. It's an admission that the old strategy isn't working.
Does Chikane have a real chance, or is he a placeholder?
The fact that the national office bearers brought him in suggests they see something. But Masuku and Morero have institutional weight—one as regional chair, one as sitting mayor. Chikane would be the surprise choice.