Who is Loyiso Masuku, the new ANC regional chair of Joburg?

Loyiso Masuku has made history, becoming the first woman to be elected as the ANC regional chairperson of Johannesburg. Her victory signals a significant shift in the city's political landscape, coming at a time when Johannesburg is grappling with significant financial challenges.

Masuku secured the top regional post with 184 votes, defeating rival Dada Morero, who received 149. This new leadership position comes shortly after she was appointed to the city’s mayoral committee in August to oversee crucial financial governance, fiscal discipline, and revenue collection efforts.

This move was part of a broader effort to strengthen the city's administration.Prior to her current roles, Masuku served as the MMC for Group Corporate and Shared Services, bringing more than a decade of experience across both government administration and ANC structures.

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."

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. Her political journey began in the student movement as a SASCO campus coordinator, leading her to rise through the ranks as the ANC Youth League Regional Secretary in Johannesburg and a member of the ANC Women’s League Florence Mophosho branch. She has also held positions in the Executive Mayor’s Office in Ekurhuleni and the Gauteng Office of the Premier.

Masuku's career has not been without controversy. In 2020, she temporarily stepped aside from her duties after being linked to a R125 million Covid-19 personal protective equipment (PPE) tender awarded by the Gauteng Health Department, which her husband, Bandile Masuku, then headed. She involved a close family friend, Khusela Diko.

However, subsequent investigations by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) and the ANC’s Provincial Executive Committee (PEC) found no evidence that she had influenced the tender award or personally benefited from it.

The ANC PEC formally cleared her, allowing her to return to her position. At the time, Masuku affirmed her commitment to public service, stating her desire to serve without "a cloud hanging over [her] head."