Lifestyle audits await ANC mayoral candidates ahead of 2026 elections

THE ANC hopes the lifestyle audits that its mayoral candidates will undergo will help in fulfilling its commitment to strong, diverse, and capable candidates.

These were some of the measures ANC Electoral Committee Chairperson, Kgalema Motlanthe, announced on Monday as part of the ANC’s extensive vetting process to rid the party of unethical leaders. The party only controls two of the eight metros (Buffalo City and Mangaug) in the country.  

Motlanthe, who briefed members of the media on the candidate selection process for the 2026 local government elections  yesterday said mayoral candidates for metros and cities will be handled through the National Official Office Bearers.

Motlanthe said this is to ensure that they select people who bring expertise and the requisite qualifications to occupy those positions.

For this to succeed, candidates must have the right skills, experience, and integrity required to serve communities effectively, he said. 

Motlanthe said the party has also resolved that at least 70% of its candidates for the upcoming local government elections must have prior experience in any sphere of government.

He said that this is part of the party’s electoral committee, which, in its deliberations, has released the minimum criteria its members must meet to qualify for seats in municipal councils across the country.

"They must be successful and effective public representatives, members of the executive, or officials employed in government, in the last 31 years," he said.

He indicated that the party has decided to cast the net as widely as possible to find all the best talent deployed by the party over the years in all spheres of government. 

Motlanthe said committee also resolved to enforce stricter measures against those who use money to fund their election campaigns, adding that disciplinary processes were in place to ensure accountability and clean governance.

"To ensure that money plays no role in the candidate selection process, candidates and their supporters may not produce T-shirts, media, branding of any object, banners, pamphlets, or posters. Candidates may also not engage in any campaign that relies on donations or spend their own money, except for paying for meeting venues," he said.

He added that anyone found guilty will be disqualified from the candidate selection process and expelled from the ANC following internal processes.

The nomination process by branches will officially kick off in the early part of the new year.

Cape Times