ANC demands education and clean records for election candidates

Zuko Komisa

The ANC released new local election guidelines, demanding candidates possess a matric certificate and relevant experience.
Candidates must have no criminal record or pending charges and must not have been found guilty of violating the party’s code of conduct.
The selection process mandates a 50% representation of women and requires a balance of youth and age across the final list.

The African National Congress (ANC) has released stringent criteria for its municipal election candidates, emphasising high educational and ethical standards to ensure quality representation in local government.

The new guidelines, announced by Electoral Committee Head Kgalema Motlanthe, require all prospective candidates to possess a matric certificate and relevant experience for council service.

This is a significant move to tackle issues of competence at the local level.

The party is enforcing a strict ‘clean record’ policy.

Motlanthe confirmed that no candidate may have a criminal record or face active criminal charges from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

Furthermore, any member found guilty of contravening the ANC’s code of conduct by a disciplinary committee is ineligible for nomination.

To promote inclusivity, the new framework mandates a list that achieves 50% or more representation for women, ensuring a female candidate is positioned second throughout the list.

The selections must also reflect a balanced mix of youth and experienced older members.