ANC Still Undecided on Allowing Non-Members as Mayoral Candidates

• The African National Congress (ANC) plans to identify potential mayoral candidates beyond its traditional structures
• The party plans to include individuals from the public service and civil society, as part of efforts to address dysfunction in municipalities
• Under the proposed system, successful candidates would be required to sign delivery agreements with the party

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

The African National Congress (ANC) has not yet decided whether non-members will be eligible to stand as mayoral candidates, as it considers widening its recruitment pool ahead of upcoming local government elections.

ANC plans to identify potential candidates

According to EWN, ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula indicated that the party plans to identify potential candidates beyond its traditional structures, including individuals from the public service and civil society, as part of efforts to address dysfunction in municipalities. He explained that nominations could be submitted directly to the party's headquarters at Luthuli House, marking a shift from the ANC's usual practice of relying on internal processes to determine leadership at local level.

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Mbalula indicated that the new approach aims to broaden the leadership pool while maintaining alignment with the party's values and organisational discipline. He added that the ANC's top leadership structure would review shortlisted candidates and make recommendations. He further suggested that the party was seeking individuals committed to public service rather than personalities driven by personal prominence.

Under the proposed system, successful candidates would be required to sign delivery agreements with the party, which would be subject to ongoing performance reviews. The ANC indicated that it plans to announce mayoral candidates for eight metropolitan municipalities and 22 cities by the end of June.

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Source: Briefly News