An ANC member who has filed court papers challenging the legitimacy of the Johannesburg regional conference has vehemently denied that he is a proxy for Mayor Dada Morero. Stanley Itshegetseng, an adviser in the mayor’s office, insists he is acting as a 'comrade in my own right' and not as Morero’s 'ball boy' after the mayor lost the regional chairperson election to Loyiso Masuku in December 2025. The legal challenge comes amid allegations of vote-buying and improperly handled ballots, adding another layer of factional tension to the city’s politics.