Search on for new Pretoria mayor

THE race for a successor to outgoing Pretoria Executive Mayor Solly Msimanga is already in full swing within the DA ranks.

On the other hand, both the ANC and EFF have not yet declared the manner in which they will approach the succession race.

On Friday, Msimanga announced his resignation with effect from February to focus on his campaign as DA candidate for Gauteng premier in the May general elections.

DA Gauteng chairperson Mike Moriarty told the Pretoria News his party had already called for its members to apply for mayoral candidacy.

“The DA has a prescribed process, which involves a call for nominations of applicants, which has already been concluded,” he said.

“The next step will be to allow applicants to go through a selection panel for interviews. The panel will then make recommendations to the party’s federal executive on the successful nominee to be fielded as mayoral candidate.”

Moriarty also dismissed yesterday’s newspaper report indicating that Msimanga was pushed out of Tshwane House. Council speaker Katlego Mathebe is expected to convene the ordinary council sitting for January on Thursday.

Political parties will be allowed to put forward their candidates to be voted for by the councillors through secret ballots, under the watch of the Electoral Commission of South Africa.

A few names of Msimanga’s possible replacement have already been doing the rounds, among them DA regional chairperson Abel Tau. Mathebe’s name also came up. Others within the Tshwane political circles have mentioned the MMC for human settlements Mandla Nkomo as the likely mayoral candidate. The EFF – kingmaker in council with 25 seats – is believed to have a soft spot for Nkomo.