JOHANNESBURG - The ANC has said mayoral candidates will undergo background checks and lifestyle audits.
It comes as the party gears up for the upcoming local government elections.
The party is holding a special sitting of its National Executive Committee.
ANC secretary general, Fikile Mbalula said this process would 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.
"A rigorous and transparent assessment process will then be undertaken. This includes competency-based interviews, verification of qualifications, background checks, and lifestyle audits where necessary. These measures are designed to ensure that candidates are not only politically grounded, but possess the technical capability, administrative competence, ethical integrity, and leadership capacity required to manage complex municipalities and deliver meaningful change.
"The ANC is clear, leadership must be earned through merit, discipline and capacity. Deployment is not an entitlement; it is a responsibility and a mandate to serve. Following this process, the National Officials will finalise and ratify mayoral candidates based on their credibility, competence, and ability to implement the ANC’s programme of transformation. This will include the strategic configuration of leadership collectives within municipalities to ensure stability, coherence, and effective governance."
Mbalula further stated how the process will unfold.
• Identification, consultation, and longlisting through April 2026;
• Shortlisting, verification, and vetting by mid-May 2026;
• Structured interviews across all provinces in early June 2026;
• Finalisation and announcement of mayoral candidates by June 2026.
He said that the programme will cover eight metropolitan municipalities and 22 secondary cities.
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Meanwhile, one of the issues to be discussed at the NEC meeting is the SACP and the tripartite alliance.
It comes as the SACP considers contesting the local government elections without the ANC.
The ANC says it will talk to the SACP after the meeting.