Is Rev Frank Chikane the right mayoral pick for ANC?
· Citizen
In 2016, the ANC thought it had solved a problem. Faced with factional battles in Tshwane, the leadership parachuted in Thoko Didiza as a consensus candidate.
The move was meant to calm rivalries. Instead, it sparked violent protests and cost the party its majority in the municipal elections.
Visit h-doctor.club for more information.
Didiza never wore the mayoral chain. That cautionary tale still hangs over Gauteng politics.
With three months to go before the local government elections, the ANC’s silence on mayoral candidates for Gauteng’s fiercely contested metros speaks volumes.
The party is set to announce its candidates on 19 August, ahead of the manifesto launch on 23 August.
Yet, the delay seems less about strategy than about fear of repeating a blunder that once turned compromise into revolt.
In Joburg, all signs point to struggle veteran Rev Frank Chikane. His moral authority highlights the party’s predicament more than the city’s urgent needs.
His name signals not renewal, but retreat: a movement reaching back to familiar figures to steady a city in crisis.
Joburg’s problems are urgent. Collapsing services, failing infrastructure and loss of trust demand a mayor who can deliver practical solutions, not just lip service.
Residents are not asking who has the best credentials for liberation, but who can make the city work again.
No one disputes Chikane’s contribution to democracy. Yet, Joburg is not seeking liberation credentials; it is seeking a mayor who can reverse decay and restore delivery.
If the ANC settles on Chikane, it would suggest that when confronted with its toughest battles, it turns to veterans rather than trusting a new generation. That is difficult to reconcile with promises of renewal and generational change.
Where are the younger leaders the party has spent years grooming? Where are the administrators and policy innovators who understand the demands of governing a modern African city?
Has Joburg become too politically important to entrust to emerging leadership?
The questions are particularly relevant when figures such as ANC Joburg regional chair and deputy mayor Loyiso Masuku are part of the generation positioned for responsibility.
If the party bypasses emerging leaders in favour of another veteran appointment, the ANC risks discouraging those it claims to be grooming. Renewal cannot be spoken of while overlooking the very generation it is meant to empower.
Should Chikane get the nod, he would face equally experienced political heavyweights. The DA’s Helen Zille remains one of SA’s most formidable campaigners, while ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba continues to command significant support in Joburg after his tenure as mayor.
Instead of fresh ideas, the election could become a battle of veterans. Experience undoubtedly matters.
Cities require competent leadership, not simply youthful faces. Chikane’s reputation for ethical leadership and administrative experience would make him a credible contender.
But experience alone is not a development strategy. Joburg needs innovative governance, decisive implementation and infrastructure investment.
The ANC’s choice is about more than a mayoral candidate. It is a test of whether the party believes in renewal – or whether past leaders are its safest bet.
The Didiza incident was a warning: silence and compromise at the top can translate into anger and rejection at the ballot box.
If Joburg is handed another veteran without a clear plan for urban renewal, the ANC will have shown it has not absorbed the lesson of Tshwane.
Renewal is not a slogan; it is a choice. Joburg deserves more than a familiar name. It deserves confidence that whoever emerges has vision and capacity to build a “world-class” city.