ANC Gauteng disappointed by showing

2011-05-24 19:08

Johannesburg - The ANC in Gauteng is "disappointed" over its performance in Indian and coloured townships around Johannesburg, provincial secretary David Makhura said on Tuesday.

"We will be going back to the drawing board with regard to our work among these communities," he said at a briefing to announce the province's mayoral candidates.

"What are the issues close to the heart of these communities that the ANC has missed?"

Makhura said the ANC was taking its poor showing in these areas "very seriously". The party lost previously held areas such as Eldorado Park and Lenasia in the 2011 local government elections.

Both the Indian and coloured communities were "historic constituencies of the ANC", he said.

The party would conduct intensive voter analysis to determine what prompted these groups to either stay away from the polls or to vote for another party.

Concern

ANC secretary general Gwede Mantashe, shortly afterward at a media briefing at the party headquarters, also expressed concern over the decline in support among minorities.

"Old activists remain loyal to the ANC but that circle continues to get smaller and smaller," he said.

He conceded that there were communities who would be "switched off" by comments which "appeared racist" made by ANC leaders, but added that South Africans remained "too over-sensitive to each other".

He was asked about comments made by ANC Youth League president Julius Malema, for example. Comments by Malema that white people were criminals were not ANC policy, Mantashe said.

"Comments that are a departure from ANC policy, do not do good for the ANC."

Makhura said the ANC, in the next five years, would also attempt to create a presence in the northern suburbs of Johannesburg and eastern suburbs of Tshwane, where it did not win any wards.

Transformation

The ANC in Gauteng revealed its mayors for the 11 municipalities it won in the province.

Former Johannesburg finance boss Parks Tau is the city's new mayor. Tau replaces long-serving mayor Amos Masondo, whose two terms in office came to a close after the election, and will have to take over the handling of the City's billing problems and ailing financial situation.

The former city finance boss said transformation was at the top of the list of priorities for his term in office.

Mondli Gungubele would be mayor of Ekurhuleni; Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, Tshwane; Mpho Nawa, West Rand district municipality; Simon Mofokeng, Sedibeng district municipality; Greta Hlongwane, Emfuleni local municipality; Calvin Seerane, Mogale City; Maphefo Letsie, Merafong; Sylivia Thebenare, Randfontein local municipality; Lerato Maloka, Lesedi local municipality; and Nonkoliso Tundzi, Westonaria local municipality.

Priseka Ramashu would lead the opposition in the Midvaal municipality. She was the ANC's mayoral pick but the party failed to win the municipality, which was retained by the Democratic Alliance after a heated battle ahead of the polls.

- SAPA