ANC ‘plays catch-up’ after delayed choices

The ANC leadership’s plan to install its mayoral candidates as mayors in key and highly contested municipalities before the local government elections has been scuppered by the party’s protracted interview process, which took longer than expected.

The party has now abandoned the move, as those who had initially pushed back against it say it would be setting the mayoral candidates up for failure. They could not achieve much in the less than three months before the November 4 polls if they were to be installed as mayors now.

This comes as the ANC is expected to announce its mayoral candidates for key municipalities and metros in the coming week.