The African National Congress's (ANC's) Tshwane mayoral candidate, Thoko Didiza, would visit various areas in the metro on Thursday afternoon to be briefed about the city’s programmes there, Gauteng ANC chairperson Paul Mashatile said.

He added that she was "not fazed" by criticism over her nomination, as well as the violence that erupted in various areas in the Tshwane metro following the announcement on Monday.

Didiza and 11 other mayoral candidates earlier arrived at the ANC’s Gauteng headquarters near Zoo Lake in Johannesburg for an introductory press conference.

Didiza was dressed in a black knee-length dress suit and a pearl necklace, and looked relaxed.

"Didiza is here, she is one of our best leaders," Mashatile told journalists ahead of the press conference.

"Some of the programmes comrade Sputla [Ramokgopa, Tshwane mayor] was busy with was part of the Expanded Public Works Programme, which was in fact an idea of comrade Thoko Didiza when she was minister of public works," he said.

"We are confident she will build on what the comrades did, and she will in fact double it," he said.

"A lot of our comrades were saying last night we are ready for her, we are supporting her," he said.

"Many said our grievance is you didn’t brief us on time, we are not against her. Sentiment is they are not against her. Once they are interacting with her, we will see the change."

Mashatile said the ANC regretted the loss of lives – now a total of five – as a result of the violent protests.

"We want to call upon the people of Tshwane to please raise their concern in a peaceful manner. We are working with security forces to stabilise the area," he said.

Mashatile also said that George Matjila, who has been blamed for masterminding the unrest, had assured him that these allegations had been a smear plot against him.

Matjila, who was expelled from the ANC after allegedly disrupting an ANC Youth League conference in 2014 in the province, had appealed his expulsion and was helping to quell the fires in Tshwane.