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Former minister Thoko Didiza has been named the mayoral candidate for Tshwane after a protracted nomination process, which saw the three candidates who were initially suggested turned down by the provincial executive committee.
Tshwane was left without a mayoral candidate after an extraordinary sitting of the ANC national executive committee (NEC) on Friday to finalise the list of the party’s mayoral candidates.
ANC secretary-general Gwede Mantashe confirmed on Saturday night that the provincial executive committee could not come to an agreement over the names that were presented to them by the regional executive committee and the NEC was asked to intervene.
National and provincial leadership agreed to the intervention, and at a meeting held yesterday, Didiza was presented to the regional executive committee for consideration.
“The nomination for mayoral candidacy demonstrates our commitment to strengthening the capacity of leadership at local level across the board,” deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte told reporters today.
“We are confident that, once elected by the people of Tshwane, she will continue to build on the solid foundation laid by comrade Kgosientso Ramokgopa and his collective over the last five years.”
Didiza was born in Durban. She is married and has five children. She has a Bachelors of Arts (honours) in politics.
The forum of Young Global Leaders chose her as one of its young global leaders in 2004.
Didiza is also a former minister of agriculture and land affairs in 1999 and in 2006. She was one of the 10 ministers who resigned in 2008 after the ousting of President Thabo Mbeki. At the time, she was with the department of public works.
Duarte said the party prided itself on its robust system of internal democracy and, thus, any intervention that altered the outcome of a democratic process did not get taken lightly.
She added that Didiza was a senior and seasoned leader of the ANC, with extensive experience in governance. Duarte also indicated that Ramokgopa’s name was not on the list of names provided for the nomination.
“Comrades with criminal convictions or pending cases were not considered for mayoral candidacy,” said Mantashe, who refused to give out the names of the other nominated candidates.
Gauteng ANC chairperson Paul Mashatile called on members to accept the decision and to support Didiza. He added that Ramokgopa would continue as the current mayor until his term of office ended.
Meanwhile, ANC members protested in Pretoria this afternoon about Didiza’s nomination. They overturned a metro police car and threw stones at people trying to photograph them.
The party members, who were protesting in the city centre of Pretoria, were witnessed by a News24 reporter.
A metro cop car was overturned on the corner of Schoeman and Becket streets, next to Court Classique Boutique hotel.
A motorist’s phone was confiscated and destroyed after taking a picture of the situation; and stones were hurled at people living in nearby flats trying to take pictures. – Additional reporting by News24
