Mzwandile Masina withdraws from Ekurhuleni mayoral race

African National Congress (ANC) Ekurhuleni regional chairperson Mzwandile Masina has withdrawn from the mayoral race in the metro.

Ekurhuleni special council meeting

This comes as councillors from the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality are meeting on Wednesday afternoon for a special council meeting to elect a new executive mayor, following the ouster of the Democratic Alliance’s (DA) Tania Campbell from office last week through an ANC-sponsored motion of no confidence.

Campbell is expected to stand again as the DA’s mayoral candidate after she served 11 months as the metro’s mayor.

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It was widely anticipated that the ANC would field Masina as their mayoral candidate, but the former Ekurhuleni mayor confirmed he had withdrawn from the mayoral race.

Masina was the mayor of Ekurhuleni for one term under a multiparty coalition government from 2016 to 2021.

“Unfortunately, I have served my five-year term and when I attempted my second term, I was defeated. So it’s time to focus on other issues in the movement… the ANC is here and its presence is going to be felt today,” he told reporters outside the council chambers in Germiston.

EFF’s Nkululeko Dunga for mayor?

There is speculation that the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) Gauteng provincial chairperson, Nkululeko Dunga, could be elected as the next mayor of Ekurhuleni, but Masina refused to be drawn into commenting on this.

This follows a meeting of senior leaders of the ANC and the EFF in Gauteng ahead of the special council sitting. The meeting included ANC provincial chairperson Panyaza Lesufi and provincial secretary Thembinkosi “TK” Nciza.

“Let’s wait for the right moment but I’m not available as the mayoral candidate,” Masina said.

While the EFF abstained from last week’s vote of no-confidence in Campbell, Dunga has remained tight-lipped on whether they will field their own candidate.

“You can expect a decisive action of the EFF,” he said.

Meanwhile, the ANC is also reportedly in talks with smaller parties that supported Campbell’s removal to oust the speaker and the whip of council in Ekurhuleni, who are both DA members.

Compiled by Thapelo Lekabe

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