The African National Congress (ANC) has introduced stricter requirements for its members who want to become councillors after the 2026 local government elections.
A key new rule is that all candidates must have at least a matric certificate. The party’s internal Electoral Committee proposed this requirement, stating it can only be waived under “exceptional circumstances.” All potential candidates must also complete four online leadership training modules.
The proposed rules also aim to block candidates with criminal records. Anyone with a criminal record or current charges from the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) will be barred. This excludes crimes of a political nature committed before April 1994.
The party also wants to disqualify members who have been found guilty by an ANC disciplinary committee in the last ten years, are currently suspended, or are awaiting the outcome of a disciplinary hearing or court case.
Furthermore, the rules target internal party problems. Candidates involved in factional activities, or who disrupt community or ANC meetings, will be disqualified.
A major focus is on preventing vote-buying. The proposal explicitly bans candidates and their supporters from using money to campaign. This includes producing branded items like T-shirts or posters, and especially paying members for their support. The only exception is paying for meeting venues. Anyone found guilty of using money to buy votes will be disqualified and face expulsion from the ANC.
These proposed rules are contained in an internal document prepared by the ANC’s Electoral Committee. It is not yet clear if the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) has approved the new guidelines. The ANC’s national spokesperson did not respond to questions about the proposal by the time of publication.
