ANC's top Joburg mayoral hopefuls locked out of council — Morero and Masuku ineligible for mayor

The ANC's two leading mayoral contenders for Johannesburg, former mayor Dada Morero and Greater Johannesburg chairperson Loyiso Masuku, have been knocked out of the mayoral race before it even started.

Neither is a councillor. And under the law, neither can be mayor.

The ANC Greater Joburg Region confirmed on Tuesday that Morero and Masuku failed to secure a seat in the 270-member Johannesburg council in the 2026 local government elections, disqualifying both from election as executive mayor.

Regional Secretary Sasabona Manganye said the ANC had taken note of questions about the make-up of its caucus, what the IEC's proportional representation seat allocation means, and how the organisation will identify its mayoral candidate for the City of Johannesburg.

According to Manganye, the election outcome has presented an unusual situation in which the ANC secured more ward seats than its proportional representation allocation would otherwise provide.

"According to the current final seat allocation, the ANC has secured 63 ward seats and no additional PR seats, giving the organisation a total of 63 councillors in the 270-member council," Manganye said.

"This outcome means that the ANC caucus will be constituted by the 63 ward councillors elected directly by communities in their respective wards."

That single IEC calculation has ended the ambitions of the ANC's two most prominent Joburg leaders.

Morero, who did not contest his ward, was meant to lead the ANC back into power in Johannesburg to no avail.

Masuku did not contest a ward. She banked on entering council through the ANC's PR list as chairperson of the region. That gamble failed. Because the ANC won 63 ward seats and was entitled to no additional PR seats, there was no PR seat for her to take.

The result is that the ANC's chairperson is not in council, and its former mayor is not in council, in the city the ANC most desperately wants to govern.

Manganye was blunt about what the law says.

"The law is clear that an executive mayor must be elected from among the councillors of the municipal council," he said.

"Consequently, a person who is not a councillor cannot be nominated and elected as executive mayor under the current legal framework."

Manganye said the IEC's allocation does not change the ANC's political right to identify and nominate its preferred mayoral candidate. However, he said this matter will be dependent on the coalition discussions outcomes.

In other words, the ANC can still choose a candidate — but it cannot choose Morero or Masuku.

The confirmation kills weeks of speculation inside the ANC that a way could be found to parachute one of them back into council.

Manganye addressed speculation that ANC councillors could resign to create space for a preferred candidate.

"The ANC has not taken a decision to request any of its elected councillors to resign to create space for a preferred mayoral candidate," he said.

"Furthermore, such a proposal must be considered against the applicable electoral legislation. A vacancy arising from the resignation of a ward-elected councillor is dealt with through a ward by-election; it does not automatically create a PR seat for the ANC or provide a direct route for another individual to enter council through the party list."

A ward resignation would trigger a by-election, not a PR appointment. There is no shortcut back into council for Morero or Masuku.

The ANC in Johannesburg secured 63 seats in the council. No party secured an outright majority in the 270-member council, leaving Johannesburg with a hung council.

Manganye said the ANC Greater Joburg Region is seized with the responsibility of guiding the organisation through the post-election political processes.

"Our immediate priority is to constitute a disciplined, united and effective ANC caucus, assess the political configuration of the council and undertake the necessary organisational processes to determine the way forward," he said.

"Johannesburg has a hung council, and no political party has secured an outright majority. This requires responsible political engagement with other parties to establish a stable government capable of addressing the challenges facing our city."

Manganye said the ANC's approach to coalition arrangements will not be driven merely by the pursuit of positions or the arithmetic of power.

"It must be informed by a programme that prioritises service delivery, municipal financial sustainability, economic development, the fight against corruption and the restoration of public confidence in local government," he said.

"We will be guided by the NEC through the Office of SG on the coalition framework we should follow."

Manganye said the ANC respects the outcome of the elections and the democratic choices made by the people of Johannesburg.

"Our responsibility now is to translate the electoral mandate into an effective political and governance programme," he said.

"The people of Johannesburg need a stable government, capable leadership and a municipality that works. These considerations must guide every decision we take."