By Palesa Matlala
- Dada Morero and Loyiso Masuku are the top two candidates for the African National Congress regional chair in Johannesburg, with voting set for Friday.
- Loyiso Masuku could become the first female mayor for the party in Johannesburg, but her campaign is shadowed by a past Covid-19 tender scandal.
Johannesburg Mayor Dada Morero and finance boss Loyiso Masuku are going head-to-head for the African National Congress leadership in Johannesburg.
The two are the leading candidates in the ANC’s 16th regional elective conference, which opened this week at the Cedarwoods Hotel in Johannesburg. Voting is set to take place on Friday night, 5 December 2025.
Morero, who is currently the ANC regional chairperson, is trying to defend his position. He is backed by a group calling itself a “unity slate”. He first rose through the party ranks in 2011 when he became ANC regional secretary in Johannesburg, and served three terms — making him the longest-serving regional secretary in Gauteng.
Masuku, who is the regional deputy secretary, is being supported by a slate described as the “people’s choice”. She started her political journey in student politics and has held several leadership roles in the ANC Youth League and Women’s League.
If she wins, Masuku could make history as the first woman to lead the ANC in the city and potentially become Johannesburg mayor. But her campaign has been haunted by her and her husband Bandile Masuku’s links to a controversial Covid-19 personal protective equipment tender scandal.
Morero has criticised the use of money to sway delegates. He said: “For my campaign I only paid for logistical requirements, including transport, food and sound, but did not buy support from delegates.”
Out of 135 ANC branches in Johannesburg, 125 have been approved to take part in the conference. Around 340 delegates have been accredited and will vote for a new leadership that will steer the party through the next three years and into the 2026 municipal elections.
Pictured above: Dada Morero and Loyiso Masuku are vying for power in Johannesburg
Image source: ANC Gauteng Facebook
