Loyiso Masuku Elected Johannesburg’s First Deputy Mayor

JOHANNESBURG (Azat TV) – Loyiso Masuku, the African National Congress (ANC) Johannesburg region chairperson, was elected as the City of Johannesburg’s first-ever Deputy Mayor on Thursday, February 26, 2026. Her uncontested appointment marks a significant shift in the city’s executive structure and comes amidst complex political maneuvering within the ruling coalition.

Masuku’s election was swift and unopposed during a City Council meeting, where she formally accepted the responsibility. “I, Loyiso Masuku, hereby accept the nomination for the position of deputy executive mayor for the city of Johannesburg,” she stated. Council Speaker Margaret Arnolds confirmed the lack of opposition, declaring Masuku “duly elected as the deputy executive mayor of the city of Johannesburg,” as reported by EWN. She is expected to be sworn in on the same day.

Loyiso Masuku’s Historic Appointment

The appointment of Loyiso Masuku is historic on multiple fronts. Not only is she Johannesburg’s first deputy mayor, but she also holds the distinction of being the first female chairperson of the ANC in the city. Masuku previously served as the Member of the Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Finance, a portfolio that has now been incorporated into the Office of the Deputy Mayor, signifying an expansion of the deputy mayor’s responsibilities.

Her election was backed by the ANC and its coalition partners, which include the Patriotic Alliance (PA), Al Jama-ah, and other minority parties. The Democratic Alliance (DA) indicated that it abstained from the election proceedings.

Political Dynamics Behind the Deputy Mayor Role

The creation of the deputy mayor position itself is a result of intricate political negotiations and internal dynamics within the ANC. Sources indicate that the role was established to appease a faction within the ANC that had sought the removal of current Mayor Dada Morero. This internal pressure intensified after Mayor Morero lost his position as the regional chairperson of the ANC in Johannesburg at a conference last year.

The appointment also addresses concerns raised by coalition partners, who had previously complained that it would not be fair to have both the mayor and deputy mayor positions held by the ANC while operating in a coalition government with other political parties. With Masuku’s election, both the mayor and deputy mayor of Johannesburg are now from the ANC, a development that underscores the party’s efforts to consolidate its influence within the city’s governance structure.

Motion of No Confidence Against Mayor Morero

Masuku’s election unfolds against a backdrop of political uncertainty for Mayor Morero. On the same Thursday, the City Council was expected to debate a motion of no confidence against Mayor Morero, tabled by Al Jama-ah and its partners in the minority caucus. Al Jama-ah had requested that the motion be conducted through a secret ballot, though it was not immediately clear if the motion would still proceed following Masuku’s appointment.

ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula had previously insisted that there was no reason to recall Mayor Morero, especially in a year when the party is preparing for crucial local government elections. The ANC’s regional spokesperson, Mantombi Nkosi, confirmed that the party had been actively negotiating with its coalition partners to try and convince them to withdraw the motion against the mayor, according to The Citizen.

Loyiso Masuku’s uncontested election as Johannesburg’s first deputy mayor represents a strategic move by the ANC to manage internal factionalism and stabilize its coalition government, albeit while navigating an ongoing motion of no confidence against the incumbent mayor.