South Africans hoping for a glimpse into the leadership of African National Congress (ANC)-run municipalities after the November local government elections were left frustrated and confused on Saturday, as the party backed away from announcing its mayoral candidates at the last minute.

The announcement of mayoral candidates, at the Sandton Convention Centre on Saturday, had been expectantly awaited, particularly as it related to the country’s metros. It was intended to be a modest event, with media accreditation explicitly limited to 20 journalists.

On Saturday morning, mere hours before the event was to be held, the ANC announced that it would not be announcing its candidates to contest for those mayoral offices, but merely slates or shortlists of potential candidates.

Its choice of candidates would be revealing as to the prevailing balance of forces between competing factions in the ANC. The campaign has also been characterised by personalities, particularly in Johannesburg, where Helen Zille, the Democratic Alliance’s candidate for mayor in the city, has dominated headlines.

The poor governance of South Africa’s cities has been a major theme in the run-up to the elections, and one that is associated with the ANC’s poor polling.

Saturday’s announcement follows an extraordinary process for the ANC. For the first time, non-members were permitted to be nominated, and potential candidates were permitted to self-nominate. Initially, mayoral candidates were expected to be announced by 26 June before the announcement was postponed to August. Now that the announcement has been postponed yet again, the ANC has announced that candidates will be made public in September.

The failure to finalise the selection of mayoral candidates is indicative of a confused and lacklustre campaign, mirroring confusion and internal conflicts in the party itself. There have also been reports of possible candidates flatly refusing to enter the arena given the scale of challenges facing local governance.

In Johannesburg, the ANC’s slates of mayoral candidates announced on Saturday are incumbent mayor Dada Morero, deputy mayor and mayoral committee member for finance Loyiso Masuku, and veteran cleric and politician Rev Frank Chikane.

Morero and Masuku represent competing factions of the party in the city, while Chikane is regarded as a figure who might unite the party and present to the community the impression of more stable and ethical leadership.

Multiple candidates are vying for the mayoral nomination in other municipalities, invariably comprising incumbent mayors and other local or regional notables.

ANC national chairperson Gwede Mantashe told the media that if the mayoral candidates had been announced, some of the unsuccessful ones would defect to other parties.

In related news, the ANC launched its manifesto at Riverside, Diepsloot, on Sunday. A modest crowd enjoyed the entertainment, but showed restrained enthusiasm.