As the November 4 Local Government Elections approach, speculation is growing in Matatiele about the possible return of one of the municipality’s most experienced political and administrative figures: Dr Tsepang Damian Nakin.
Nakin, who served as Matatiele’s first Black mayor after the 1994 democratic transition, is once again being discussed as a possible candidate for the mayoral position should the African National Congress (ANC) emerge with sufficient representation after the elections.
Nakin succeeded then-Mayor Libby Sorour in 1996 and served as mayor until 2000. He later returned to the municipality in an administrative capacity, serving as Municipal Manager until his departure in 2017 following a mutual agreement with the council.
His possible return has generated considerable interest within political circles and among some residents who remember his tenure as a period of stability, strong administration and improved municipal performance.
A possible return to politics
Sources within the ANC have told The Informer that Nakin’s name has featured in discussions around the party’s proportional representation (PR) list, although the list has not yet been finalised.
A senior ANC regional official has previously expressed a desire to see Nakin return to a leadership position, including the mayoralty. One ANC source described Nakin as the regional secretary’s preferred candidate.
Another source close to Nakin confirmed that discussions about his possible return had taken place.
“Some ANC members went to talk to him about this. That hope has died down a little bit because of infighting within the ANC during the nomination processes. He was also topping the list, although we don’t know the status of the list now,” the source said.
Nakin himself confirmed to The Informer that ANC members had approached him about returning to political office, but appeared cautious about the prospect.
“Well, I did not take it seriously, knowing the dynamics of the organisation. Members can say this today and tomorrow they may work saying something else. Also, there are people who have tasted and enjoyed the position, so they might contest the position. That’s why I said we will see,” Nakin said.
His response reflects the uncertainty surrounding both the ANC’s internal nomination process and whether he would ultimately be willing to return to the increasingly difficult terrain of local government politics.
A record that residents remember
For some Matatiele residents, the prospect of Nakin’s return is about more than political nostalgia. It is about whether his combination of political experience and administrative knowledge could help restore confidence in the municipality.
Nakin served as mayor from 1996 to 2000 before returning to the municipality as Municipal Manager. During his tenure as Municipal Manager, the municipality achieved healthy audit outcomes and was regarded as a benchmark by other municipalities in the Eastern Cape.
Supporters argue that the contrast between the municipality during Nakin’s tenure and its subsequent trajectory is difficult to ignore. According to some residents and ANC members, municipal performance deteriorated after his departure in 2017.
One ANC member argued that if the party’s commitment to renewal is genuine, Nakin should be considered for the mayoralty.
“This town needs a matured and experienced person like Dr Nakin,” the source said.
That sentiment is shared by residents who remember him not only as a political leader and municipal administrator, but also as a medical doctor. Some have reportedly encouraged him to return to private medical practice, including calls for him to reopen his surgery after leaving the municipality.
For them, Nakin faces a difficult choice: return to a profession in which he has earned the trust of patients, or re-enter the demanding and often frustrating world of municipal politics.
A long political history
Nakin’s supporters also point to his longstanding involvement in the ANC and the liberation struggle.
He is regarded by party members as one of the most senior ANC figures in the district and has been associated with the organisation for decades. His political history includes links to senior figures in the movement, including Dr Zweli Mkhize, from the period of the struggle.
He is now associated with the ANC Veterans’ League, further reinforcing his status as a veteran within the organisation.
That history could give him political stature that some of the municipality’s current leaders do not possess. But political experience can be both an asset and a burden. The ANC in Matatiele, like many branches of the organisation, has experienced internal divisions, and the nomination process could ultimately determine whether Nakin’s name advances or disappears from consideration.
The difficult question facing Nakin
The biggest question, therefore, may not be whether sections of the ANC want Nakin back. It is whether Nakin himself wants to return.
He has already held both of the positions that would give him considerable influence over the municipality: mayor and Municipal Manager. He has experienced the demands of political office as well as the pressures of municipal administration.
Returning now would mean entering a political environment that is arguably more complicated and factional than the one he left in 2017.
There is also the question of expectations. Those who remember Nakin’s previous tenure may expect him to restore the municipality to what they regard as better days. But local government has changed, the political environment has changed, and the challenges facing Matatiele have changed.
Nakin would therefore not simply be returning to the municipality. He would be returning to a municipality carrying the weight of residents’ expectations and memories of his previous performance.
A decision bigger than one man
For the ANC, bringing Nakin back could be presented as a symbol of renewal through experience: an attempt to draw on a veteran politician and experienced administrator at a time when residents are demanding better governance and service delivery.
For Nakin, however, the decision is more personal.
Does he return to municipal politics and attempt to influence the direction of Matatiele once again, or does he remain outside the political arena and concentrate on his medical profession and other interests?
At this stage, there is no certainty that the ANC’s nomination process will place him in a position from which he can become mayor. Nor is there certainty that he would accept the position if the opportunity arose.
But the fact that his name is once again being discussed is significant.
After years away from the municipality’s political leadership, Dr Tsepang Nakin remains a figure whose experience, political history and administrative record command attention in Matatiele.
Whether that experience will return to the council chamber after November 4 remains to be seen.
For now, the question hanging over Matatiele is a simple one:
Could Dr Nakin come back?
The answer may ultimately depend not only on the ANC, its factions and its nomination lists, but on the man himself.
No tags for this post.
