In a move signalling a decisive shift towards professionalising local government, the African National Congress (ANC) is set to overhaul its internal criteria for selecting mayoral candidates, with a formal matric certificate emerging as a central minimum requirement. The proposed revision, championed by the party’s internal electoral committee headed by former President Kgalema Motlanthe, is framed as a critical step to address governance failures and instill a culture of competency within its ranks.
The new selection rules, which are expected to be ratified ahead of the next local government elections, aim to systematically “improve the capacity of its councillors to provide strategic direction and oversight to municipalities,” according to a party insider familiar with the draft guidelines. This initiative comes against a backdrop of persistent service delivery protests, financial mismanagement in several ANC-led municipalities, and a public outcry for more capable and accountable local leadership.
Balancing Formal Education with Practical Experience
While the inclusion of a matriculation certificate as a baseline has garnered significant attention, the proposed criteria also contain a crucial qualifier. The draft document reportedly states that candidates must “possess a matric certificate and/or have the capacity or experience to make a constructive contribution within the municipal council.”
This “and/or” clause is a critical political compromise, designed to balance the push for formal education with the recognition of valuable practical experience and community leadership. It aims to prevent the exclusion of respected, effective community leaders who may lack a formal qualification but possess a proven track record of service and the requisite strategic acumen.
“A matric certificate represents a foundational level of literacy, numeracy, and analytical ability essential for comprehending complex municipal budgets, legislation, and development plans,” explained a member of the ANC’s National Executive Committee. “However, the party is not blind to the fact that wisdom and capability are not the sole preserve of the academically certified. The ‘experience’ clause is our safeguard against losing such individuals.”
A Response to Internal and External Pressure
The proposed changes are widely seen as a direct response to both internal self-reflection and external criticism. The ANC has faced mounting pressure from civil society, opposition parties, and its own constituents to raise the calibre of its public representatives. The move aligns with a broader, albeit challenging, project of party renewal and combating the perception of a decline in its leadership pool.
“This is about ensuring that the person we deploy to manage a multi-billion rand municipal budget has the basic tools to do the job,” said political analyst Professor Lebo Mokoena. “It’s a low bar, but a necessary one. It signals an intent to move away from the era of patronage-based deployments where loyalty was sometimes valued over competence. The real test, however, will be in the rigorous and impartial application of these criteria, especially the subjective assessment of ‘capacity and experience’.”
The proposed criteria are expected to be debated vigorously within the party’s structures. While some will argue that the standards are still too low, others may resist what they perceive as an elitist barrier to political participation. Nevertheless, the initiative marks a significant acknowledgment from within the ANC’s highest echelons that the quality of its local government leadership is inextricably linked to both service delivery and the party’s political fortunes.
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