POLITRICKING: Maile on Joburg chaos: 'We don't need Messiahs'

Speculation is swirling around DA federal council chairperson and former Cape Town mayor Helen Zille as she reportedly eyes the race to become her party’s mayoral candidate for Johannesburg in next year’s local government elections. 

Her entry would add serious weight to what is already shaping up to be a high-stakes contest for the top job in South Africa’s economic hub. Rumours suggest ActionSA could counter with heavyweights like former Joburg mayor and party leader Herman Mashaba or even former DA parliamentary leader Lindiwe Mazibuko. 

The Patriotic Alliance is expected to field its deputy president Kenny Kunene, while some within the ANC are proposing a return to pre-coalition leadership by bringing back Parks Tau - even if that means he steps away from his current ministerial post. But this week’s guest on Politricking with Tshidi Madia, Gauteng MEC Lebogang Maile, believes such a move won’t be necessary. 

“I think that we don’t need Messiahs,” said Maile when quizzed on what the ANC’s approach should be next year.

Maile said even listening to Zille, hers weren’t proposals that will be very different from what everyone else has sought to do in Joburg.

“There is nothing special that she says she will do, but what she’s basically saying, is to go back to basics, take decisions and implement plans,” he remarked.

For Maile, Johannesburg’s problems are multi-faceted and have been exacerbated by coalition politics, which have seen several hands exchange control of the mayoral chain.

“Every mayor who comes in, has a different vision, they bring different personnel, different leadership style, so that comes with a lot of instability in the municipality,” he said.

Maile said this lack of predictability in planning, the differences in leadership has aided those in the city’s management who know no executive will stick around long enough to hold them accountable.

“What municipal councils do best, is every three months, they pass motions of no confidence against each other,” said Maile.

His remarks come as the city prepares to deliberate over a motion of no confidence over current mayor Dada Morero and his troika.

Maile who is the Gauteng finance and economic development MEC, is also the ANC’s head of sectoral engagement in the provincial task team, his role was head of elections before the ANC’s national executive committee, which is the party’s highest making decision body in between conferences, disbanded the provincial executive.

He insisted there was no need for big names to be pulled out of a hat, if the ANC is to try claw back support in the city, or to at least get its base, which has been staying away from the polls to go out and vote for the organisation.

“Whether that Messiah comes through the ANC or the DA, you are not going to solve the problems in Johannesburg because they are systematic, they are structural, historical then they are entrenched. You need a comprehensive approach in dealing and solving the problems we have there,” said Maile.

Maile also tackled various other issues, many relating to Gauteng’s performance in the 2024 elections and expectations ahead of the municipal polls and talks of succession within his own party.

In sharing his thoughts on a much talked about view that the ANC in the province has often been harmed by the actions of its national leadership, but Maile said the province must own its mistakes, or failures, including the massive fall from the 50% win it garnered in 2019.

“I don’t think we should blame national leadership, we must take responsibility because we are here. We should engage with different sectors, clarify our positions on various issues,” he said.

For Maile ANC structures that are alive, active and functional will be able to get its message across to people, close the gap between the organisation and the electorate.

In Gauteng, the ANC has opted not to work with the DA, a decision the latter attempted to fight but lost, with the ANC at national level, eventually giving the team in Gauteng its blessing in forgoing a partnership with the DA. 

When asked if he feels vindicated, Maile failed to give a direct answer, instead explaining how the Province being pegged against the national leadership is incorrect.

“Circumstances are different, we are here in Gauteng, the situation is unique, which is what the national leadership appreciated,” he said.
“We are doing well,” he added.

What is clear, Maile, though he refused to publicly share his thoughts, is that he has thoughts about the ANC’s inclusion of the DA in the government of national unity, suggesting this topic, along with the behaviour of the DA will be agenda.
“Some in the ANC are concerned about that, their opposition to BELA, to progressive legislation and all that… that’s not my place… I have views, I have a platform in the ANC to express those views, always strike a balance, there concerns about how the DA is posturing,” he said.

The politician said the ANC’s national general council, which is its mid-term review, will be the ideal platform to raise the DA topic, his of course, will be a view canvassed across the branches of the party in Gauteng.

“This is one issue we cannot avoid,” he explained.