Thursday promises to be a busy day in the chambers of the Johannesburg Council. The race to elect a replacement for Herman Mashaba as mayor promises to be an intriguing clash, as the DA, EFF and ANC all bid for power in South Africa’s biggest city.

The DA were the first to blink this month, announcing their candidate before anyone else. The EFF finally put forward their nominee on Tuesday afternoon, whereas the ANC are still preparing their choice – but there’s one name in particular that sticks out from their ranks.

Johannesburg Mayor latest – who is likely to win?

As always in our metros, the balance of power is fascinating. The DA ended up in control of Johannesburg thanks to an anti-Zuma coalition with the EFF three years ago. But the Red Berets are unlikely to support the DA now they’ve fielded their own candidates. With those votes gone, the ANC could cruise home to victory.

However, all parties are optimistic that they can convince their colleagues, friends and even foes that they have the best solution to the mayoral crisis. By Thursday evening, we should know which party has gained control of JHB – so, who are the candidates ready to run the municipality?

DA vs EFF vs ANC: Candidates to become the Johannesburg Mayor

Funzela Ngobeni gets the DA’s nod

Ngobeni has previously served for both Cope and the ANC. He started life under Mashaba as the MMC for Development and Planning. But when a scandal forced his colleague Rabelani Dagada to leave office, Funzela Ngobeni showed his transitional skills – he became the MMC of Finance in the metro, and you may have heard his name in the news recently…

He became Johannesburg’s regional DA chairman last month, playing himself into a position of power. He has been labelled as “Herman Mashaba’s right-hand man”, due to how closely the pair have worked together since 2016.

Who is Musa Novela? EFF name candidate for Johannesburg Mayor role

Musa Novela may not have held a leading role in government before, but he’s been a busy bee since the Red Berets were elected to form a coalition government with the DA three years ago. As well as serving as the EFF’s current Johannesburg Chairperson, Novela has occupied the following roles in the metro:

The EFF’s Johannesburg Leader since 2013

EFF Caucus Leader in the Johannesburg Council

Councillor of the City of Johannesburg

The self-appointed freedom fighter certainly has strong ties to the area. He completed his tertiary studies in Gauteng, securing two diplomas in the process. He’s a degree in Governance from the University of Johannesburg and holds a National Qualification in Analytic Chemistry from the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT).

ANC’s Geoff Makhubo could lead the line

The ANC’s chair in Johannesburg has had designs on the mayorship of Johannesburg for a long time. He may be a stalwart of regional politics, but his copybook comes with a blot. Just 12 months ago, he was implicated in a tender fraud scam. His Molelwana Consulting business is said to have received R30 million in a deal with the Gupta-linked Regiments Capital.

He has previously served as the city’s MEC for finance and as the party’s treasurer in Jozi, before the ANC lost control of the city in 2016. He has experience and an intimate knowledge of how things work, but it will take a collective bout of amnesia for politicians on all sides to forget his alleged indiscretions.

It’s worth mentioning that Geoff Makhubo is the heavy-favourite to be the ANC’s candidate, but Councillors Loyiso Masuku and Matshidiso Mfikoe may also be picked at the eleventh hour instead. We are still waiting for confirmation on who the party will field against the DA and the EFF.