New leadership for JHB ANC

Parks Tau was elected chairman of the ANC's Johannesburg region over the weekend.

"The elections were free and fair and the debates were robust and frank, in the true traditions of the movement," spokesman Dumisa Ntuli said in a statement on Sunday, following a two-day conference.

Tau, who is Johannesburg mayor, was elected chairman unopposed, with Connie Bapela picked as his deputy. Dada Morero was voted in as regional secretary, Amon Msane his deputy and Geoff Makhubo was elected treasurer.

Ntuli said the election results were verified by an electoral commission with representatives from the African National Congress's provincial executive committee, the SA Communist Party, Congress of SA Trade Unions and ANC Youth League, among others.

The previous regional executive committee was disbanded in August last year by the ANC's provincial executive committee (PEC) following attempts to unseat then chairman Amos Masondo. He was mayor of Johannesburg at the time. In the interim the region was managed by a steering committee appointed by the PEC.

Tau, speaking at the closing of the conference, praised the committee for bringing order to the region. He praised it for ensuring the ANC was successful in the recent local government elections.

He however warned that the ANC had failed to "make a breakthrough" in white communities in the region. He said it was a concern that the ANC's support in coloured and Indian communities was falling. The region would need to "maintain discipline" when discussing policy issues and leadership in the coming year, he said.