By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
City of Johannesburg MMC for Finance, Loyiso Masuku has been elected as the first female African National Congress (ANC) regional chairperson in the city of gold.
Masuku secured184 votes, defeating rival Dada Morero, who received 149.
Her new mandate in the finance portfolio is set against a critical backdrop of ballooning irregular expenditure, which has reached R22.2 billion, with fruitless and wasteful spending exceeding R705 million.
Her predecessor, Morero, had been given a 14-day deadline by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to outline a plan to stabilise the city’s finances and recoup R24.4 billion lost to “unauthorised, irregular, fruitless, and wasteful expenditure.”
Masilo Serekele was elected the new regional deputy chairperson; Sasabona Manganye is the new secretary; Lerato Bob is the regional deputy secretary and Maxwell Nedzamba is the regional treasurer.
The ANC underwent a significant leadership reconfiguration in Gauteng, earlier this year, led by the National Executive Committee (NEC), to improve organisational effectiveness, strengthen community ties, and prepare for the 2026 local elections.
It said its aim was to bring in experienced leaders and veterans into restructured Provincial Executive Committees and regional structures.
This move, the party said, would assist with party renewal and electoral preparedness, “integrating new and old faces to rebuild the movement”.
Masuku has held various roles in government, including in the City of Ekurhuleni and the Gauteng government under Premier Nomvula Mokonyane.
With her election, she could become the first female ANC mayor of Johannesburg.
Born in Butterworth, Eastern Cape, Masuku holds a B-Tech degree from Technikon Witwatersrand and a postgraduate diploma in African Studies and Public Policy from the University of Johannesburg.