Durban - Newspaper reports that Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs MEC Nomusa Dube-Ncube was eThekwini mayoral candidate were unfounded, ANC provincial spokesman Mdumiseni Ntuli said on Tuesday.
Ntuli said the province was set to start choosing mayoral candidates for its municipalities once candidate lists were approved by Luthuli House.
“That process will only start when the lists of candidate councillors are approved by the national conference,” Ntuli said.
He also said the party had to first satisfy itself that eligible candidates met all the requirements to stand for elections on August 3.
Ntuli made the comments following a report this week by the Daily News’s sister paper, Isolezwe, that Dube-Ncube was a front runner to become the next mayor of eThekwini Metro.
The paper quoted sources saying the ANC was leaving nothing to chance to lose the economic hub of the province when incumbent James Nxumalo stepped down from the top position.
“There are questions as to whether she would work in co-operation with Zandile Gumede, who is also eyeing the position, in the event she gives her tough time when she does not land the post,” a source was quoted as saying.
The paper also reported that Dube-Ncube had been approached by ANC leaders to consider taking up the post, but her spokesman, Lennox Mabaso, would not be drawn into commenting, saying the matter related to the ANC rather than the department.
Commenting on this, Ntuli said they were not aware of Dube being reportedly tipped to be the next mayor.
Political analyst, Protas Madlala, said it was unlikely Dube-Ncube would take up the mayorship considering that she had held a senior post in the eThekwini metro as the Speaker years back.
He also said going back to the metro would be a demotion on her part, and that her hopes of becoming the mayor in the future could be diminished.
Dube-Ncube is currently the ANC provincial treasurer after she was elected at the provincial congress in Pietermaritzburg late last year.