By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The African National Congress (ANC) electoral committee chair Kgalema Motlanthe outlined the party’s strategy to select candidates for the 2026 local government elections.
This move is aimed at ensuring the ANC’s candidate lists are made up of qualified, experienced, and capable councillors.
The party’s national executive committee (NEC) has approved the selection guidelines for the 2026 municipal elections.
ANC held its ordinary National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting from 14–16 November 2025 at the Germiston Council Chambers.
The NEC gathering covered a range of critical issues, including preparations for the G20 Summit hosted by South Africa from 18-19 November 2025, updates on the arrival of Palestinian asylum seekers, and the party’s state of readiness for the National General Council (NGC) in three weeks
Motlanthe said the revised guidelines aim to fundamentally improve councillors’ capacity to provide strategic direction and oversight to municipalities, adding that minimum qualifications are now mandatory.
He said all candidates must be ANC members in good standing at the time of nomination to the Electoral Independent Commission (IEC).
Candidates must have a proven track record of commitment to and involvement in the democratic movement and/or government, he added.
“The 2026 candidate selection processes are primarily about choosing the best possible candidates to occupy councillor, mayoral, speaker, chief whip, and mayoral committee positions,” he said.
“Candidates must have no criminal record or criminal charges brought by the [National Prosecuting Authority] NPA, excluding politically related crimes committed before April 1994. Private prosecutions are excluded unless they result in criminal convictions by a court of law,” Motlanthe said.
“No candidate shall be eligible for nomination if he or she has been found guilty by a disciplinary committee of contravening the ANC Code of Conduct and had their membership suspended at any time in the last ten years. This rule also applies to members awaiting the outcome of a disciplinary hearing or an appeal.”
Those affected by the ANC’s step-aside rule will also not be eligible for nomination. The rule says members who have been criminally charged cannot participate in any ANC-related activities, including representing the party in government.
Motlanthe said those who are already public representatives or members of government must achieve satisfactory ratings in their performance reviews.
“All candidates must agree to vetting of criminal records and qualifications, and must make financial and other interest declarations before final nomination. Candidates must also agree to a lifestyle audit or other investigation to be conducted by reputable accounting and law firms,” he said.
Motlanthe announced that the nomination process by branches will officially kick off in the early part of the new year.
The upcoming polls come as municipalities across the country face worsening service delivery challenges, including unreliable water supply, frequent electricity cuts, poor waste collection, and deteriorating roads.
The IEC announced that the next local elections are expected to take place between November 2, 2026, and January 31, 2027.
Since the 2024 general elections, the IEC has registered 34 new political parties, bringing the total number of registered parties in South Africa to 472 — the highest in the country’s history. Of these, 287 are registered nationally, while 185 operate at provincial, district, or metropolitan levels.