By Simon Nare
ANC Secretary General Fikile Mbalula says the party will now allow non-card-carrying members to stand as its candidates in the upcoming local government elections, marking a break from its traditional approach to candidate selection.
Speaking to journalists ahead of a special National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting at the Birchwood Hotel in Boksburg on Friday, Mbalula said the party would accept candidates who are not formal members, provided they have strong community backing.
He said the ANC already has councillors serving under its banner who are not card-carrying members, having been nominated through community processes.
The shift forms part of a broader overhaul of the party’s candidate selection system, which introduces a centralised, competency-based approach to identifying and deploying leadership in key municipalities.
The party has also launched its mayoral candidate selection process, mainly targeting the eight metropolitan municipalities in South Africa and the 22 secondary cities considered critical to economic activity, infrastructure development and service delivery.
Mbalula said the party would embark on a nationwide process to identify and recruit capable mayoral candidates, including professionals, community leaders, veterans of government and individuals with proven leadership track records.
“This includes experienced public representatives, professionals, community leaders, veterans of government, and individuals with proven leadership track records and governance capability,” Mbalula said.
“This approach deliberately expands the pool of leadership beyond our robust internal ANC processes, while remaining firmly rooted in the values and discipline of the organisation.”
Mbalula said communities would be invited to propose candidates for mayoral positions across the country, including in Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni.
“We are going to invite society to suggest who they would like to see as mayors … all these people will be shortlisted based on our criteria and be called forward for interviews,” he said.
He said a secretariat committee would compile a shortlist, after which the ANC’s top seven officials would conduct interviews before final candidates are confirmed.
Candidates nominated by communities will still be subjected to the party’s internal vetting processes, including scrutiny by the ANC Electoral Committee, provincial list committees and other structures to ensure they meet requirements on qualifications, ethical standing and organisational discipline.
Mbalula said the framework guiding the process does not exclude non-members and reflects existing practices in some municipalities.
“The framework has not framed up the question of whether, if you don’t hold membership, you can’t be a candidate for the ANC. It is happening now … some of the candidates who are our councillors are not members,” he said.
The party has also introduced new requirements emphasising academic qualifications and competency in leadership selection.
In a statement, Mbalula said the first phase of the process would establish a centralised implementation mechanism within the Secretary-General’s Office (SGO), supported by a dedicated secretariat and working alongside the Local Government Interventions Committee.
“This will ensure uniformity, strategic oversight, discipline and consistency in implementation across all provinces,” said Mbalula.
Mbalula added that it would open a window for public submissions, inviting communities and stakeholders to propose individuals they believe are suitable for mayoral roles.
“This process will be complemented by structured consultation with provincial and regional leadership to ensure that the final pool of candidates reflects both national strategic priorities and the lived realities of communities,” he said.
Mbalula said a final list of mayoral candidates is expected to be announced by June.
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