Parties poised to roll out big guns in BCM mayoral race

The race for the Buffalo City Metro mayoral chain is heating up ahead of the November 4 local government elections as political parties prepare to unleash their big guns to battle it out for control of the city. A number of prominent leaders in the ruling ANC and from opposition parties are understood to have made themselves available to be considered for the metro’s top job. Insiders say the United Democratic Movement (UDM) is poised to unleash its second most powerful leader after founder Bantu Holomisa — its deputy president and long-serving MP Nqabayomzi Kwankwa — as the party’s face in the city ahead of the polls.

The ANC’s top seven, which is responsible for the selection of mayoral candidates in the metros, has yet to decide who, among its four frontrunners, including the incumbent, Princess Faku, will get the nod. The Dispatch understands that one potential contender is Simphiwe Dzengwa, a financial executive who led the Section 154 intervention team sent to the metro by the national government late last year to help the municipality to turn around its finances. It is understood that he recently left the “Mr Fixit” role, though no reasons have been made public.

It is believed that Dzengwa, Faku, who doubles as the ANC regional chair, along with councillor and former regional treasurer Ncedo Kumbaca and former sport, arts and culture deputy minister Nocawe Mafu were interviewed for the job by Luthuli House bosses on July 14. The ANC in the region earlier confirmed that it had recommended Faku, and mayoral committee members Yomelela Tyali and Bongiwe Sauli (both members of the party’s regional executive), for consideration, while the names of Dzengwa, Mafu and Kumbaca had also been put forward for the mayoral seat. Tyali and Sauli reportedly did not make it to the interviews, leaving the four to battle it out for the mayoral crown.

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Though it could not be independently verified by the time of publication, a number of ANC insiders said Dzengwa had emerged as one of the strongest candidates during the interviews. On Tuesday, Dzengwa said he had not applied for the job, “but I was nominated by the ANC Veterans’ League”. While Mafu could not be reached for comment, Kumbaca confirmed that he had applied and been interviewed for the top job.

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