ANC Bars Candidates With Criminal Records
The ANC's candidate selection criteria now exclude individuals with criminal records and set minimum qualification requirements for prospective municipal representatives.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in City Hall
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The African National Congress has excluded individuals with criminal records from serving as its representatives in its candidate selection criteria. The party has also introduced minimum qualification requirements for prospective municipal representatives.
Why it matters
The criteria are designed to strengthen accountability within the ANC's candidate lists at a time of high levels of violent crime and criminal activity in South Africa. Minimum qualification requirements aim to ensure municipalities are led by people with the skills and capacity to address complex governance challenges.
The ANC's selection criteria bar anyone with a criminal record from serving as an ANC representative and set minimum qualifications for municipal candidates. The number of candidates affected and the precise qualification thresholds have not been disclosed.
The players
African National Congress (ANC)
South Africa's governing party, which sets the candidate selection criteria at the centre of this story.
Mmamoloko Kubayi
An ANC figure who spoke about the party's candidate criteria at its Sunday rally.
The details
The criteria were discussed at an ANC rally on Sunday, where Mmamoloko Kubayi spoke about the candidate requirements. A Constitutional Court ruling on the ANC's candidate lists has also been issued, and some community members and traditional leaders were prepared to join a legal challenge to the candidate selection process.
Timeline
Sunday: ANC rally at which Mmamoloko Kubayi spoke about the candidate selection criteria.
Political Context
The Constitutional Court ruling on the ANC's candidate lists provides the legal backdrop to the new criteria. Community members and traditional leaders who are prepared to join a legal challenge argue the selection process should be contested in court.
Prospective ANC municipal candidates with criminal records will be excluded from standing for the party, and those seeking to stand must meet the new minimum qualifications. Voters in South Africa may see different candidate lists as a result of these criteria.
The takeaway
Candidate selection is increasingly being tied to integrity and skills, and the ANC's new criteria show how parties may tighten who can stand for municipal office. Readers following local elections should check how these rules are applied to the candidate lists in their own municipality.
Further reading
Explore more on City Hall coverage of South African municipal governance.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Inside Metros.
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Should political candidates with criminal records be barred from holding public office?
