In a bid to shore up internal discipline and restore public confidence ahead of the 2026 local government elections, the African National Congress (ANC) has issued an urgent, sweeping directive to all its provincial and regional structures, ordering them to immediately address critical risks plaguing the party’s candidate selection process. The move comes amid growing concerns over manipulation, factionalism, and a lack of transparency in the vetting and nomination of prospective councillors—issues that have previously cost the party dearly at the polls.
The circular, dated 6 August 2026 and dispatched from the party’s headquarters at Luthuli House, bears the signature of Secretary General Fikile Mbalula, who has made it clear that the party will tolerate no further breaches of its electoral protocols. The directive is expressly addressed to a wide range of internal stakeholders, including provincial and regional secretaries, Provincial List Committees, Provincial Dispute Resolution Committees, Regional Interview and Vetting Panels, and all National Executive Committee (NEC) deployees tasked with overseeing the processes on the ground.
While the full contents of the circular have not been made public, sources within the party have indicated that it highlights specific vulnerabilities—including the potential for slate politics to override merit, inadequate background checks on candidates with criminal records or pending legal matters, and the manipulation of branch nominations through gatekeeping and intimidation. Mbalula is said to have emphasized that any structure found to be in violation of the party’s candidate selection guidelines will face severe consequences, including the disbandment of rogue regional task teams.
The directive also underscores the urgency of resolving disputes swiftly through the established internal mechanisms to avoid the kind of protracted legal battles that have previously derailed the party’s electoral preparations. With the local government elections looming and the ANC under intense pressure to reclaim lost ground, the success of this directive may well determine whether the party can field a credible, cohesive slate of candidates—or once again fall victim to the very internal fractures it claims to be fixing.
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