ANC ‘plays catch-up’ after delayed choices

Timeslive · 🇿🇦 public South Africa · Aug 15, 2026 · 726 words · By Kgothatso Madisa

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What to know about ANC ‘plays catch-up’ after delayed choices

Story audio is generated using AI The ANC leadership’s plan to install its mayoral candidates as mayors in key and highly contested municipalities ahead of the local government elections has been scuppered by the party’s protracted interview process, which…

Claims checked 11

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center83%

Right17%

6 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

The party has now abandoned the move, as those who had initially pushed back against it say it would be setting the mayoral candidates up for failure.

Common ground

They could not achieve much in the less than three months before the polls if they were to be installed as mayors now.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: ANC ‘plays catch-up’ after delayed choices?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that In Joburg, the ANC is expected to announce Rev Frank Chikane as its mayoral candidate, with Loyiso Masuku running for deputy mayor?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/2026-08-15-ancs-mayoral-warm-up-goes-offsid…

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 11 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5

cancel Disputed 2

help Insufficient Evidence 2

schedule Pending 1

info Single Source 1

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Claim 1: “In Joburg, the ANC is expected to announce Rev Frank Chikane as its mayoral candidate, with Loyiso Masuku running for deputy mayor.”

DISPUTED

While multiple sources confirm Frank Chikane is a frontrunner or potential candidate for Joburg, they also mention Dada Morero and Loyiso Masuku as potential candidates/contenders, rather than confirming Masuku as the designated deputy mayor.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Apartheid ( ə-PART-(h)yte, especially South African English: ə-PART-(h)ayt, Afrikaans: [aˈpart(ɦ)əit] ; transl. "separateness", lit. 'aparthood') was a system of institutionalised racial segregation …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apartheid

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Frank Chikane (born 3 January 1951 in Bushbuckridge, Transvaal) is a South African civil servant, writer and cleric. He is a member of the African National Congress and moderator of the Commission of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Chikane

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The South African Council of Churches (SACC) is an interdenominational forum in South Africa. It was a prominent anti-apartheid organisation during the years of apartheid in South Africa. Its leaders …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Council_of_Churc…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 2: “The DA, EFF, ActionSA, PA, IFP, Bosa, Rise Mzansi and others have already announced their mayoral candidates”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm that parties including the DA, EFF, ActionSA, IFP, and Rise Mzansi have already announced their mayoral candidates.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2021 South African Municipal Elections were held on 1 November 2021, to elect councils for all district, metropolitan and local municipalities in each of the country's nine provinces. It was the 6…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2021_South_African_municipal_e…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — General elections were held in South Africa on 29 May 2024 to elect a new National Assembly as well as the provincial legislature in each of the nine provinces. This was the seventh general election h…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_South_African_general_ele…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2026 South African municipal elections will be held on 4 November 2026 across South Africa, to elect councils for all district, metropolitan and local municipalities in each of the country's nine …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_South_African_municipal_e…

+ 3 more evidence sources

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Claim 3: “the party’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, will also launch its manifesto in Riverside, Diepsloot.”

CORROBORATED

Three independent web search results confirm Cyril Ramaphosa launched the ANC's 2026 local government elections manifesto at Riverside Park in Diepsloot.

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web search NEUTRAL — ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa is unveiling the party’s 2026 local government elections manifesto at Riverside Park in Diepsloot, north of Johannesburg, on Sunday. Get the latest updates here.Jovial mo…
https://www.businessday.co.za/politics/2026-08-23-watch-live…

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web search NEUTRAL — ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa will unveil his party's 2026 local government election manifesto at Riverside Park in Diepslooot north of Johannesburg. For more on this... let's cross to Thulasizwe Sime…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jcmnBdGBe4

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web search NEUTRAL — President Cyril Ramaphosa says he is confident the ANC will win the 4 November local government elections.Ramaphosa made the remarks while addressing supporters during the party’s official manifesto l…
https://www.thesouthafrican.com/news/politics/anc-manifesto-…

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Claim 4: “Mangaung’s Gregory Nthatisi has also been endorsed for another term.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

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Claim 5: “In Tshwane, the MMC for human settlements, Aaron Maluleka, is set to be announced as the ANC’s preferred candidate, with deputy regional ANC leader and roads & transport MMC Tlangi Mogale as the second option.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding Aaron Maluleka or Tlangi Mogale for Tshwane.

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Claim 6: “The ANC is this week expected to finally announce its mayoral candidates, making it the last major political party to do so.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources confirm the ANC is expected to announce candidates this week and is the last major party to do so.

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web search NEUTRAL — The ANC is this week expected to finally announce its mayoral candidates, making it the last major political party to do so. The DA, EFF, ActionSA, PA, IFP, Bosa, Rise Mzansi and others have already a…
https://www.sundaytimes.timeslive.co.za/politics/2026-08-15-…

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web search NEUTRAL — The ANC had spent weeks interviewing candidates through its NEC and was expected to announce its mayoral candidates for the country’s eight metros and 257 municipalities on the same weekend.
https://www.businessday.co.za/opinion/2026-08-26-editorial-a…

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web search NEUTRAL — The party was expected to announce its candidates for metros over the weekend, but the announcement was cancelled at the eleventh hour. African National Congress (ANC). Local Government Elections. Pan…
https://www.ewn.co.za/2026/08/24/anc-not-pressured-to-announ…

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Claim 7: “The ANC leadership’s plan to install its mayoral candidates as mayors in key and highly contested municipalities ahead of the local government elections has been scuppered by the party’s protracted interview process”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results explicitly state that the ANC's plan to install mayoral candidates ahead of the elections was 'scuppered' by a 'protracted interview process'.

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web search NEUTRAL — The ANC's local government elections manifesto launch at Riverside Park near Diepsloot in Johannesburg on 23 August 2026.The ANC will only announce its mayoral candidates in September - just two month…
https://www.ewn.co.za/2026/08/24/anc-not-pressured-to-announ…

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web search NEUTRAL — The ANC leadership’s plan to install its mayoral candidates as mayors in key and highly contested municipalities ahead of the local government elections has been scuppered by the party’s protracted in…
https://capeflats.co.za/anc-scrambles-to-finalise-mayoral-ca…

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web search NEUTRAL — The ANC has centralised its mayoral candidate selection process ahead of the 2026 local government elections, with Fikile Mbalula saying candidates will be assessed on competence
https://iol.co.za/news/politics/2026-08-12-anc-under-pressur…

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Claim 8: “eThekwini’s current mayor, Cyril Xaba, is tipped to retain his position, as he has apparently been endorsed for another term”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in the provided search results regarding Cyril Xaba's endorsement for eThekwini.

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Claim 9: “In Ekurhuleni, it is understood that former Gauteng speaker Ntombi Mekgwe is the frontrunner, ahead of current mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza and Jongizizwe Dlabathi, the ANC regional secretary.”

DISPUTED

One source identifies Ntombi Mekgwe as the frontrunner, but another source explicitly states that Jongizizwe Dlabathi is 'reportedly the frontrunner to become the ANC’s mayoral candidate for the metro'.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The mayor of Ekurhuleni is the head of the local government of South Africa's City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, established in 2000.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayor_of_Ekurhuleni

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web search NEUTRAL — In Ekurhuleni, it is understood that former Gauteng speaker Ntombi Mekgwe is the frontrunner, ahead of current mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza and Jongizizwe Dlabathi, the ANC regional secretary.
https://www.sundaytimes.timeslive.co.za/politics/2026-08-15-…

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web search NEUTRAL — ANC Gauteng has intervened after Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza (right) moved to fire finance MMC Jongizizwe Dlabathi (left), who is reportedly the frontrunner to become the ANC’s mayoral cand…
https://www.news24.com/politics/anc-gauteng-intervenes-as-ek…

+ 1 more evidence source

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Claim 10: “The ANC is expected to announce its mayoral candidates for key municipalities and metros in the coming week.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple sources indicate the ANC was expected to announce its mayoral candidates for key municipalities and metros in the coming week, although one source notes a specific announcement was cancelled at the eleventh hour.

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web search NEUTRAL — This comes as the ANC is expected to announce its mayoral candidates for key municipalities and metros in the coming week.The ANC is this week expected to finally announce its mayoral candidates, maki…
https://www.sundaytimes.timeslive.co.za/politics/2026-08-15-…

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web search NEUTRAL — 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 l…
https://www.businessday.co.za/news/2026-08-04-anc-the-outlie…

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info

Claim 11: “In Joburg, for instance, the DA has put up Zille, the EFF has announced Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, ActionSA has Mashaba, the PA has Kenny Kunene, the IFP has Mlungisi Mabaso, Bosa has Nobuntu Hlazo-Webster, and Rise Mzansi has Lukhona Mnguni.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While general evidence confirms other parties have announced candidates, the specific list of names for Johannesburg (Zille, Mofokeng, Mashaba, etc.) is not corroborated across the provided evidence snippets; the provided search results for these specific names are either irrelevant (e.g., fashion, US mayors) or only mention the parties generally.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Democratic Alliance held a national elective conference to determine its federal leadership on 11 and 12 April 2026. Nominations for leadership positions were open from 27 February to 23 March 202…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Democratic_Alliance_Feder…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Otta Helene Zille (; born 9 March 1951), known as Helen Zille, is a South African politician. She served as the Chairperson of the Federal Council of the Democratic Alliance from October 2019 to Apri…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Zille

+ 3 more evidence sources

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.