The African National Congress electoral framework mandates that municipal councillor candidates without a matric certificate sign a binding undertaking to complete the qualification during their term or face disqualification.
The internal requirement, spearheaded by the ANC Electoral Committee led by former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, establishes a stricter educational baseline to professionalize local governance. While a Grade 12 qualification is now a mandatory standard for prospective representatives, the party maintains targeted exception mechanisms for popular incumbent public representatives.
Existing ward-level representatives who lack a matric certificate must secure an official waiver exclusively through Motlanthe’s electoral committee. Candidates granted this exemption must commit in writing to complete their studies while serving in municipal councils.
New candidates seeking entry into municipal representation are barred from standing without a matric certificate. According to coverage by SABC News, party leadership clarified that waiver requests apply solely to incumbent ward-level candidates supported by their communities.
