Pandor says young people in the ANC should lead Joburg… but also likes Frank Chikane
· Citizen
ANC veteran Naledi Pandor says she believes a young person should become the ANC’s mayoral candidate for the City of Johannesburg. This, as she also throws in her support for Frank Chikane.
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The ANC is expected to announce its mayoral candidate for Johannesburg soon, but it has been reported that among the front runners are the current deputy mayor of the city, Loyiso Masuku, ANC veteran Chikane, and former member of parliament Jabu Moleketi.
While Chikane’s name appears more appealing to the older generation in the ANC, the ANCYL has thrown its support behind Loyiso Masuku, the first female chairperson of the party in Johannesburg.
Sources in the party have told The Citizen that Chikane had expressed reservations about becoming the party’s mayoral candidate for the City of Johannesburg.
Why Frank Chikane?
Pandor was speaking on Mbuyiseni Ndlozi’s podcast, African Renaissance, this week when she said she “would like to see a younger person” lead the party in the region.
“I think young people must be given an opportunity,” she said.
Pandor said she believes Frank Chikane would also be a good candidate because of his clean record and integrity.
“I have seen Reverend Frank Chikane’s name being mentioned in the press, but I have no greater knowledge than that. For me, he is a person of great integrity and is a hard worker. If we want someone who is honest, who will not steal public resources and who will have regard for the improvement and development of the metro, I do not think he will be a terrible choice,” she said.
She said Chikane knows Johannesburg well and has “no stain” on his name.
“I think he would work for the city,” she said.
Ready to campaign
Pandor said she is ready to campaign for the party if called upon.
“I am very ready to be active if I know where the meeting is and what its focus is, but I just don’t jump around everywhere… I will be very enthusiastic if I am told where to go,” she said.
Robbery at Pandor’s house
Meanwhile, Pandor said that, because of a recent robbery at her house in Pretoria, she is not interested in raising her hand to become a mayoral candidate for her party in the City of Tshwane.
“People from Tshwane robbed me in my house at gunpoint. I have no interest in it at all. I cannot wait to go home, actually. I would not be interested. I had a horrible experience,” she said.
However, she said South Africans should vote for the ANC because the party had learnt its lesson.
“Select the ANC, and we will make sure we do the right thing this time,” she said.
Final stages of candidate selection in the ANC
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula told the media last week that the party will launch its manifesto on August 15. The party is yet to announce its mayoral candidates for the different municipalities.
“The face of this campaign is actually the president. We can actually go into these elections without a mayoral candidate and elect a mayor after. It’s a fashion, this thing of mayoral candidates and so on, but we are not joining the fashion. We are doing what is a proven track record of the ANC,” he said.
He said the ANC has a rigorous process of electing mayoral candidates.
“Our candidates have been vetted, and there is a criterion for them. Our candidates have been taken to community meetings,” he said.
Mbalula said the ANC will finalise its internal candidate processes this week.