Joburg mayoral election: ANC fields Geoff Makhubo as candidate [video]

The ANC caucus, in Johannesburg, has elected Geoff Makhubo as their mayoral candidate to replace the outgoing Herman Mashaba.

Members of the ANC Caucus in the City of Johannesburg singing after their brief meeting ahead of the council sitting called to elect the new Joburg Mayor. The governing party has nominated Geoff Makhubo as its mayoral candidate and Nonceba Molwele as Speaker #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/jfJETwIy9J

— Ntebo Mokobo (@MokoboNtebo) November 28, 2019

By close of business, on Thursday, Joburg will have a new mayor. The DA has, in the interim, placed Abel Tau in charge of all mayoral duties while the council heads into a vote to elect Mashaba’s successor.

Who is Geoff Makhubo?

The ANC has placed all of its eggs in the basket of Geoff Makhubo, a true Joburg local. The 51-year-old was born in Soweto and has played an integral part in the ANC’s struggle for freedom.

It is believed that he secured his BComm degree at Wits University, in 1990, and has numerous Advanced Management courses under his belt.Like many prominent figures in the party, Makhubo has had his fair share of impropriety allegations.

Serving as the party’s regional chairperson in 2018, Makhubo was summoned to the ANC’s Integrity Committee to respond to allegations claiming that he scored a hefty R30-million middle-man fee for an underhanded deal between the City of Johannesburg and Gupta-linked Regiments Fund Managers.

The matter was never escalated further than the report Daily Maverick published and by the end of Thursday, all of this could be swept under the carpet if favour tilts in Makhubo’s direction.

Who is he up against for the Joburg mayoral seat?

The mayoral contest for the most powerful seat in regional politics has never been this competitive. The ANC have a true Sowetan local in the running. However, the biggest threat has come from the well-renowned kingmakers, the EFF, who have fielded their own candidate, Musa Novela

In his most recent press briefing, Julius Malema made it clear that they were no longer in the business of anchoring the success of other parties. He warned that if the DA — they’ve put forth Funzela Ngobeni as their preferred successor — has any interest in a coalition partnership, they will support Novela in bringing down the ANC.

How is a mayor elected in Johannesburg?

The Johannesburg council has a total of 270 seats, all shared by means of proportional representation. The ANC currently has the most seats in the council, with a total of 122. The DA comes second with 103, while the EFF sits with a decisive 30 seats. The total votes needed to win a majority is 136.

More than likely, the three biggest parties contesting the mayoral position will have to rely on partnerships with smaller parties like the IFP, FF Plus and ACDP.