Durban – The former minister of tourism and Jacob Zuma nemesis, Derek Hanekom, has been appointed as one of the five conveners to chair panels to interview ANC mayoral candidates for KwaZulu-Natal municipalities after the elections.
The other conveners are Dipuo Letsatsi Duba, a former minister of state security, Thandi Mahembahlala, a former youth league leader, Khensani Kubayi, the current Minister of Human Settlement and Noxolo Kliviet, the former Premier of the Eastern Cape.
The panel to interview mayoral candidates has been recently touted by ANC President, Cyril Ramaphosa while on his campaign trail in KZN, as an effort to ensure that the ruling party deploys the best, instead of deploying “those who can sing, toyi-toyi and dance the best.”
KwaZulu-Natal alone has five interview panels while the Eastern Cape has the second biggest panel with four, while other provinces where the ANC is not doing well, like the Western Cape, has two panels, with one of them having Nomvula Mokonyane as convener.
According to the memo from Luthuli House seen by Independent Media, interviews with mayoral candidates for metros will be conducted by a special panel made up of the national top five led by ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa. Ramaphosa will work with his deputy, David Mabuza, national chairman Gwede Mantashe, Treasurer-General Paul Mashatile, and acting secretary-general Jessie Duarte.
The top five, in the absence of suspended secretary-general, Ace Magashule, has roped in senior ANC National Executive Committee member, Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and former Eastern Cape Premier, Pumulo Masualle to be part of the panel.
In the Eastern Cape, the conveners of the panel will be Thoko Didiza, the Minister of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development, Aaron Motsoaledi, the Minister of Home Affairs, Obed Bapela, the deputy Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs and Minister of Police, Bheki Cele.
The only mayoral interview panel in Gauteng will be chaired by the former minister of transport, Joe Maswangayi who, among others, will work with Candith Mashigo-Dlamini and former Northern Cape Premier, Sylvia Lucas.
Political Bureau