Embattled Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero. File picture: X
The ANC member who has filed courtroom papers difficult the legitimacy of the Johannesburg regional convention has denied being instructed by Johannesburg mayor Dada Morero to take action on his behalf, insisting that he was not his “ball boy”.
Stanley Itshegetseng has given the ANC till Wednesday to answer his considerations in regards to the legitimacy of the regional convention, which befell from 3 to five December 2025.
On the convention, Morero misplaced to the present regional chairperson, Loyiso Masuku.
Because the election end result, those that misplaced on the convention have raised allegations of vote-buying and claimed that the election firm rigged the convention in favour of the profitable slate.
Ballots of extra members, which had been meant to be stored protected, had been discovered opened on the home of the presiding officer in January. The ANC has opened a case on the matter.
Some ANC insiders have accused Itshegetseng of being utilized by Morero to struggle the outcomes of the convention. He works as an adviser to the chief of employees in Morero’s workplace and is understood to be a staunch supporter of the mayor.
“Individuals are undermining me. I’m a comrade in my very own proper,” he advised the Mail & Guardian on Monday. “I went as a delegate to the convention, not due to Dada’s ticket — I used to be elected by my department to go to the convention. The communication that I despatched to the ANC was from me and never Dada. Why would folks cut back me to a ball boy of Dada and never see me as a comrade?
“By the best way, I work for Dada. This 12 months alone, I spoke to Dada twice. The primary time it was for lower than a minute. The final time, which was final week, I spoke to him for 3 minutes. Once I talk with Dada, I ship him textual content messages and more often than not he doesn’t reply.”
Itshegetseng mentioned those that had an issue with Morero mustn’t use his title to struggle their battle to take away him as mayor.
Over the weekend, a couple of hours after Itshegetseng filed his courtroom papers, the ANC in Johannesburg held a particular regional government committee (REC) assembly to debate Itshegetseng’s utility.
Nevertheless, a supply near the matter mentioned the assembly had ended up specializing in the doable removing of Morero as government mayor. The supply mentioned the REC had resolved that he ought to be recalled as mayor of Johannesburg.
“If folks have beef with Dada, they need to take the meat to Dada and never cut back me to Dada’s boy. I’m older than Dada, by the best way. I can’t be his ball boy. Individuals are undermining my political credibility.
“Once we went to the regional convention, I used to be not working Dada’s marketing campaign — I used to be removed from it. Why would folks need to cut back me to being Dada’s ball boy? I assist him, sure, however you don’t discover me round him like I’m his ball boy.
“Do I’ve beef with him? No. Do I revere and respect him? Sure, I revere and respect him as a frontrunner who I believe is succesful in Johannesburg presently. However I don’t have orders or directions from him.”
In his courtroom papers, which the M&G has seen, Itshegetseng desires the courtroom to interdict the REC from making any choices of binding power, together with caucus instructions, disciplinary actions, department and regional administration or public political programming, pending finalisation of the matter.
He additionally desires the ANC to take all needed steps to rearrange for the reconstitution of the regional convention with the identical delegates who attended the December 2025 convention to elect new management.
Itshegetseng mentioned that on 17 December 2025 he had raised disputes in regards to the convention and in keeping with occasion guidelines, the ANC ought to have responded inside 14 days however that had not occurred.
He mentioned he had exhausted each inside recourse on the matter and that the occasion had did not act. He added that he was a grounded ANC member and didn’t need to drag the occasion to courtroom.
“Once I despatched the letter to my related management within the province, I copied my REC and BEC [branch executive committee] on 17 December. There had been no response. I then wrote one other letter in the direction of the top of February to provide them 24 hours to a minimum of acknowledge receipt,” he mentioned.
There had been no response and per week later, he had suggested his lawyer to put in writing a letter demanding that the ANC reply to his letter.
“Once more, there was no response. We waited one other week earlier than we made the authorized submission to the courtroom by way of the sheriff. The ANC had a window of alternative to interact us by 17 March. In the event that they fail, on the 18th we’re going to courtroom on an pressing utility.”
If he received the case and the convention was declared illegitimate, his concern was what would occur to the drastic adjustments the REC continued to make.
“My place is that there’s a grievance in regards to the standing and legitimacy of the convention. There are poll papers which had been discovered the place they weren’t imagined to be. They had been imagined to be within the custody of the ANC however had been discovered mendacity in a home someplace. Such issues have an effect on the legitimacy of the convention itself.
