The ANC electoral committee has issued a new directive requiring councillor candidates without matric certificates to obtain the qualification within 12 months of taking office.

The committee, chaired by former president Kgalema Motlanthe, issued the directive after receiving requests from ANC structures for waivers for candidates who do not have matric.

Candidates must sign written pledge

Candidates who receive the conditional waiver must commit to obtaining either a matric certificate or an accredited qualification at NQF Level 4 or higher within a year of becoming an ANC councillor.

They must also submit a written and signed pledge through their Provincial Leadership Committee.

According to the directive, candidates who failed to submit the pledge by 17:00 on 25 August had to be removed and replaced on the candidate list.

The committee said it introduced the grace period because of the approaching IEC deadline for registering candidates.

Waiver requests rejected

The directive followed a request submitted to the ANC secretary-general and Provincial Leadership Committee seeking exemptions for candidates without matric certificates.

The electoral committee said the recommendations did not adequately explain why the affected candidates should be treated as exceptional compared with other available candidates.

It therefore rejected the waiver recommendations, saying the motivations provided were unsatisfactory.

However, the committee allowed the conditional 12-month grace period for candidates willing to improve their qualifications.

Education standards pushed higher

Political analyst Professor Musa Xulu said the move reflects the ANC’s push for better-qualified councillors.

He said limited education can create problems for councillors who need to read and interpret complex municipal documents.

ANC leaders have also recently stressed education and competence when selecting local government candidates.

Secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said the party had raised its standards for mayoral candidates, including placing greater emphasis on education and fitness for office.

The ANC national office had not responded to requests for comment when the report was published.

The new requirement forms part of the party’s candidate selection process ahead of the 4 November local government elections.