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The ANC remains the only major political party yet to announce its mayoral candidates for South Africa’s metropolitan municipalities before the 2026 local government elections, while its rivals have largely finalised their slates.The party is expected to unveil its candidates after its national executive committee concludes its selection process. In a break from previous local government elections, the ANC has opted to publicly campaign around mayoral candidates before voters go to the polls, rather than waiting until after the election when successful councillors traditionally elect mayors. The move comes as the governing party attempts to defend several coalition-run metros and regain support in urban areas before the November 4 local government elections. Johannesburg is expected to be the ANC’s most closely watched contest, with Frank Chikane emerging as the frontrunner for the party’s mayoral candidacy. He is expected to face the DA’s Helen Zille, ActionSA leader Herman Mashaba and the EFF’s Tlaleng Mofokeng in what is shaping up to be one of the most competitive mayoral races of the election. The DA has announced candidates in seven of the country’s eight metropolitan municipalities. The only exception is Buffalo City, where it has confirmed it will not field a mayoral candidate. Its candidates include Geordin Hill-Lewis for Cape Town, Khathutshelo Rasilingwane for Ekurhuleni, Werner Pretorius for Mangaung, Haniff Hoosen for eThekwini, Cilliers Brink for Tshwane, Retief Odendaal for Nelson Mandela Bay and Helen Zille for Johannesburg.WATCH | Mayoral hopeful Helen Zille outlines her plan to fix JoburgThe DA is the first major party to have completed almost all of its metro candidate announcements, allowing candidates to begin campaigning months before election day. Several of its nominees are either incumbent or former mayors, with the party relying heavily on experienced local government leaders in an effort to retain Cape Town and regain control of coalition-run metros.The EFF has also unveiled its metro mayoral candidates. Party leader Julius Malema announced Tlaleng Mofokeng as the party’s candidate for Johannesburg, Omphile Maotwe for Tshwane, Hlengiwe Mkhaliphi for eThekwini, Nthabiseng Tshivhenga for Ekurhuleni, Nontando Nolutshungu for Cape Town, Sinawo Thambo for Nelson Mandela Bay and Mkhululi Dlepu for Buffalo City during the party’s manifesto launch and 13th anniversary celebrations last weekend. ActionSA has announced candidates in four metropolitan municipalities. Herman Mashaba will contest Johannesburg, Nasiphi Moya has been nominated for Tshwane, Xolani Khumalo will stand in Ekurhuleni and Dereleen James has been selected for Cape Town. The party has yet to announce candidates for Buffalo City, eThekwini, Mangaung and Nelson Mandela Bay.The MK party has committed to contesting all eight metropolitan municipalities but has so far publicly unveiled only one prospective mayoral candidate. Former eThekwini mayor Zandile Gumede is expected to lead the party’s campaign in Durban, while candidates for the remaining metros have not yet been announced.The metro contests are expected to be among the most fiercely contested in this year’s local government elections, with parties focusing their campaigns on service delivery, coalition stability and governance in South Africa’s largest urban centres. Several metros, including Johannesburg, Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and Nelson Mandela Bay, have experienced frequent changes in political leadership since the 2021 local government elections, making them key battlegrounds in November’s poll.
