The ANC in the Free State will announce the candidate that will replace Olly Mlamleli as the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) in the province, after the upcoming local elections.
Mlamleli will replace Thabo Manyoni as the Mayor of Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality after she appeared on the party’s mayoral candidate list that was announced over the weekend.
Provincial spokesperson of the ANC, Thabo Meeko, says they are currently focusing on election campaigning.
“The ANC deploys and redeploys its members at various times and its members are disciplined. They know that it isn’t about themselves but it’s about the ANC programme. We have explained the requirements or the nature of the process, which entails looking into the issues of gender, the 20% of young people and 50% of women. The process also look at the issue of continuity, because there is redeployment and deployment all over the show, which will certainly warrant other considerations at certain positions,” he says.
Meeko rubbishes rumours that the ANC chairperson of the Motheo Region, who is also speaker of the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality, Mxolisi Siyonzana was earmarked as the metro’s mayoral candidate.
He further explains that the process was to firstly identify strategic municipalities that include the Metros and announce only the mayoral candidates.
According to him, they will deal with other candidates at local municipalities across the province at a later stage, including candidates for municipal councils, among others mayors, deputy mayors, chief whips and the speakers.
REFILWE GAESWE
