New ANC directive mandates councillors to obtain matric certificates within a year

The ANC's electoral committee has introduced a new rule requiring councillor candidates without matric certificates to obtain one within a year of taking office. This directive, issued by the committee chaired by former President Kgalema Motlanthe, follows requests for waivers from ANC structures for candidates lacking this qualification.

The committee stated that candidates granted a grace period must submit a written pledge committing to acquiring the necessary qualification within 12 months. Failure to do so will result in their removal from the candidate list. The committee received a letter expressing the need for waivers for councillors without matric certificates, and assessed nine candidates as qualifying for a waiver based on their motivation and submitted documents.

However, all recommendations for waivers were rejected due to unsatisfactory reasons and motivations. The electoral committee is aware of the upcoming candidate registration deadline and may grant a conditional waiver for candidates without matric qualifications, provided they commit to obtaining a matric or an accredited qualification at NQF Level 4 or higher within 12 months of becoming an ANC councillor.

Political analyst Professor Musa Xulu believes this move is important for the party, emphasizing the need for councillors to have skills and education. However, he acknowledges that implementing this change overnight will be challenging, as populist politics have long been a tradition at the local level.