Sotashe defends his candidacy

ANC mayoral candidate for Cape Town Xolani Sotashe has downplayed suggestions that his selection was driven by the party’s fears of losing black voters in the townships.

ANC mayoral candidate for Cape Town Xolani Sotashe has downplayed suggestions that his selection was driven by the party’s fears of losing black voters in the Mother City’s townships.

For some, Sotashe was a surprise choice for Cape Town when the governing party unveiled its mayoral candidates for the country’s metros.

There had been speculation that Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) provincial secretary Tony Ehrenreich would get the nod ahead of Sotashe.

In 2011, Ehrenreich was the ANC’s mayoral candidate in what was seen as an attempt by the governing party to attract the crucial coloured vote.

Securing the coloured vote is vital for winning control of the metro, as coloureds make up the majority of the city’s voters, closely followed by blacks.

“By having a black face, it doesn’t mean that we are sidelining the white or coloured people … we are a nonracial party and we have a presence everywhere in Cape Town — in all communities,” Sotashe said last week.

Sotashe, who has been the ANC chief whip in council since 2011, also said the challenges facing the party in the province would not distract the party.

The ANC in the Western Cape is facing major problems. A faction in its key partner organisation, the Ses’khona People’s Rights Movement, withdrew its support for the governing party last week over “unfulfilled promises” to provide land and jobs.

Ses’khona has a strong presence in informal settlements in and around Cape Town, and has in the past helped the ANC shore up support among black voters.

ANC provincial leader Marius Fransman also continues to attract negative publicity as he faces sexual assault allegations. The party asked Fransman to step aside earlier in 2016 pending the outcome of an investigation into charges against him that he sexually assaulted a subordinate.

“The challenges we have seen are largely because we are a democratic party. No other party has experienced some of the challenges we have faced.… We allow people to air their opinions, but at the end of the day we must close ranks and focus on the party,” said Sotashe.

The ANC was not reliant on other organisations or individuals to drive its campaign, he said.

“Our alliance partners — including Cosatu, the SACP and Sanco — are behind us.… Our election machinery is already on the ground and we are confident of doing well,” Sotashe said.

In its Cape Town campaign, the ANC would focus on uniting the city as there were “serious racial tensions”, he said.

“We are also engaging with the white communities.… I have met Clifton residents, for example, and some of the white residents there are unhappy with the DA.”