The ANC top six has recommended Jolidee Matongo as the mayor of Johannesburg.

Matongo is the member of the mayoral committee (MMC) for finance.

Matongo, along with two other ANC Johannesburg mayoral candidates, were interviewed by the national officials on Wednesday evening.

A leaked memo addressed to Gauteng provincial secretary Jacob Khawe, sent by ANC deputy secretary-general Jessie Duarte, and which TimesLIVE has seen, says Matongo is the party's preferred candidate.

The top six graded Matongo as their top candidate, followed by current city council chair of chairpersons, Salphina Matlou, and Mpho Moerane, MMC for environment and infrastructure services.

“The national officials were of the view that all three comrades were excellent candidates but that Cde Jolidee Mathongo was the preferred candidate ...” Duarte said in the memo.

The three candidates were the first to be subjected to a new rule introduced by President Cyril Ramaphosa where prospective mayors, especially of metros, are interviewed by the party’s top brass.

The Sunday Times reported last month that Ramaphosa had told his comrades in the NEC that the ANC should consider introducing a process whereby the NEC or national working committee interviews mayoral candidates once a list of three candidates per post has been submitted by the lower structures.

Matongo is expected to take over as mayor when the council sits early next week. Insiders have told TimesLIVE that the ANC in the city will have the backing of its coalition partners during the vote.

TimesLIVE